Criminal Detection, Rajasthan Style

In the middle of cleaning up my desk I ran across a copy of this news item that I unaccountably forgot to blog. According to the Express of India it was reported to the panchayat or village elders of Ranpur that rice and wheat had been stolen from the village school. After a few days with no identification of the thieves forthcoming the village council knew just what to do.

The village elders issued an order that compelled 150 of the local gentry to retrieve a copper ring from a kettle of boiling oil. Those who declined to offer were considered to be guilty. Had they not complied the villagers would have been ostracized, and out of fear they agreed to.

The village elders were arrested.