Pappu Prajapati said he was parking his tractor-trolley “when it hit a cow sitting on the ground behind”. The cow died on the spot.

Bhopal: A farmer and his family in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, 402 km north of Bhopal, have been ostracised from their village after the death of a cow in an accident on Tuesday, official sources said.

One of the members of the panchayat, Om Prakash Gautam said: “Since Prajapati has been proved guilty of a gau-hatya, he and his family have to get rid of sin through penance.”

The decision to ostracise the family of Pappu Prajapati (36) was taken by the village panchayat on Tuesday evening.

The panchayat members, led by village sarpanch Pancham Singh Chauhan, announced that the family would be allowed to enter the village only when all the members take a dip in the holy Ganga, organise a mass feast after a ‘Kanya and Brahman Bhoj’ and donate a cow.

Prajapati said he was parking his tractor-trolley “when it hit a cow that was sitting on the ground behind”. “The cow died on the spot. The villagers called a panchayat terming death of the cow as a gau-hatya (murder of cow).”

Prajapati said his pleading before the panchayat went in vain and they pronounced the punishment.

One of the members of the panchayat, Om Prakash Gautam said: “Since Prajapati has been proved guilty of a gau-hatya, he and his family have to get rid of sin through penance.”

However, Sheopur district additional collector Rajendra Rai said: “We have not received any information in this regard but we will look into this matter and take required action.”

Prajapati has left the village with his family to take a dip in the Ganga.