In a village in Bihar, two neighbours quarrel over a boundary wall, and one of them, Suresh, damages the other's standing crop. The matter goes to a local body of elected villagers that hears small disputes. After hearing both sides, the body holds Suresh guilty. The farmer whose crop was lost demands that Suresh be sent to jail for a month. His niece Priya, visiting from far away, is surprised: where she lives, villagers must go to the town court even for such small quarrels.
Which of the following can the body in the passage do in Suresh's case?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Impose a fine on Suresh, but it cannot award him a sentence.
Option (1) Award Suresh a short sentence and also impose a fine on him. — Incorrect. The body is a Nyaya Panchayat, a village court. It can impose fines but cannot award a sentence, so sending Suresh to jail is beyond its power.
Option (2) Pass the case to the Zilla Panchayat for a decision on punishment. — Incorrect. Grants to Panchayats come through the Zilla Panchayat, but punishing offenders is no part of its role. The Nyaya Panchayat itself hears such petty cases.
Option (3) Order a settlement between them, as criminal cases are outside its authority. — Incorrect. Nyaya Panchayats have the authority to hear some petty civil and criminal cases. Damage to a standing crop is such a case, so it is within their authority.
Option (4) Impose a fine on Suresh, but it cannot award him a sentence. — Correct. A local body of elected villagers that hears small disputes is a Nyaya Panchayat. It can impose a fine on Suresh, but it cannot award him a sentence.
NCERT (2026-27): “Powers and Responsibilities of Panchayats … |