The ruling was issued on Tuesday in Madora, mainly a Muslim hamlet.

A village in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh has banned women from using mobile phones in public. Any woman found to be talking on a mobile phone in public will have to pay a fine of ₹2100.

The all-male panchayat of Mandora village says the decision will prevent girls from eloping with boys.

Only at home

“Every week, there is a story about young boys running away with girls. In some cases, the elopement leads to violence. So an informal meeting of villagers decided that girls should use mobile phones only within the boundaries of their homes,” Mohammad Ghaffar, former head of the village, told The Hindu. “I want to make it clear that we have not banned mobile phones for women. All we are saying is that please do not use it outside your house.”