---
title: "Khap Panchayat: Meaning, Powers, Legality | Model Diplomat"
description: "A khap panchayat is an unelected council in northern India that enforces social customs, impacting local governance and community dynamics."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/khap-panchayat"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A khap panchayat is an unelected caste- or clan-based assembly of village elders in northern India that enforces social customs over members sharing a common gotra or territory.
- Are khap panchayats legally recognised in India?
- How does a khap panchayat differ from a gram panchayat?
- What does the sagotra marriage prohibition mean?
- What has the judiciary done to curb khap panchayats?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In March 2010 a Karnal district court sentenced five men to death for the 2007 honour killing of Manoj and Babli, a same-gotra couple murdered on a khap panchayat's orders in Kaithal district, Haryana.

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