New Delhi: Strange things happen all the time, but stranger things seem to be happening in a village of Andhra Pradesh, where women have given up on what may be called as their ‘domestic prerogative’ of wearing a ‘nightie’ during the daytime.

For the past nine months, the women of AP’s West Godavari district have stopped donning the comfortable, flowing nightie – all with accordance to a diktat issued by some village elders who decided that nighties are, well, meant for the night.

According to a report in The Times of India, a nine member committee of elders in Tokalapalli village has issued a decree, according to which, any woman found wearing a nightie between 7am and 7pm will be fined Rs 2,000. What’s more is that, anyone who snitches on such woman will also be duly rewarded prize money of Rs 1000.

Even though the diktat was issued nine months ago, the social media wildfire caught on with the village’s ‘little secret’ only on Thursday, when certain revenue officials visited for an inquiry.

According to the report, the villagers revealed that some elders have admonished the women of a complete social boycott, if found guilty. Moreover, the people have been ordered to keep the matter hushed and not tell the government officials.

Tokalapalli sarpanch Fantasia Mahalakshmi told TOI that washing clothes in the open, going to grocery shops and attending meetings in a nightie “is not good”. However, she denied imposing ban or threatening social boycott of women who violated the rule.​