M A I N   N E W S

Honour Killings
SC notice to Punjab, Haryana
R Sedhuraman
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, June 21
The Supreme Court today issued notice on a PIL seeking its directive to Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and five other states, besides the Centre, for taking firm steps to prevent honour killings of couples involved in inter-caste and same gotra marriages.

A Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and AK Patnaik sought the responses of the states and the Centre to the petition filed by an NGO, Shakti Vahini, listing the brutal murder of as many as 20 such men and women in the last three years and the statements of political leaders in support of khap panchayats with an eye on vote banks.

The other states, which would have to file their replies, are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. The other respondents named in the petition are the Union Cabinet Secretary, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Appearing for the petitioner, counsel Ravi Kant said the NGO had done research in honour killings in Haryana and Western UP for the National Commission for Women and this had shown that the states and the Centre had “failed” to take action to curb such feudal tendencies.