Eastern Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district administration has banned the entry of outsiders (without police registration) into the area for two months starting 19 September.
This move comes amid widespread panic among people, especially women, who have reported a spate of “braid-cutting” incidents, according to The Indian Express.
The ban on the entry of “unknown persons, feriwallas, scent sellers, beggars, street hawkers and labourers from outside the state without their registration at the concerned police station/police post’’ was imposed by District Magistrate Bhawani Rakwal, under Section 144 of the CrPC, reported the newspaper.
Over the past couple of months, bizarre incidents of braid chopping have been reported across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. The Quint had travelled to some homes in Gurugram and Delhi in August to inquire into some bizarre reports of “braid-chopping”. Here is a video which highlights some of these incidents and tries to point to logical reasons behind this absurdity.
The Doda SSP, who was sent a copy of the mandate, has been asked to implement the decision, and alert all police stations and village defence committees.
On 16 September, a similar order was imposed in Gandoh tehsil in Doda district by Sub Divisional Magistrate Dil Mir Choudhary, reported The Indian Express. The report also stated that on Saturday, a girl from Tilogra village had told officials that her braid had been chopped off after a turbaned hawker and a woman had come to her for a glass of water, after which she became unconscious.
This incident led to the ban on entry of outsiders without prior permission from authorities in Gandoh.
J&K has seen as many as 100 such incidents in the past month, while Doda has witnessed at least 12 such incidents in the past two weeks, reported The Indian Express.
Interestingly, not a single “victim” of “braid-chopping” has formally filed a police complaint till now.
While district police in J&K have tried to initiate psychological counselling sessions for those reporting such incidents, the families have resisted these attempts.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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