Notice to State govt on creating spl cells to curb honour killing

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in Madras High Court (MHC) seeking the creation of special cells at police stations in Tamil Nadu to protect inter-caste couples and curb honour killings as per the MHC and Supreme Court directions in this regard.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, before whom the PIL came up for admission on Wednesday, ordered notice to the State returnable in four weeks.

The petitioner, Vidya Reddy, managing trustee, Tulir Charitable Trust, on citing the ninepoint direction given by the High Court which included establishing special cells, said the Tamil Nadu website was devoid of such details and no helpline number as directed is present.

Pointing out to the mysterious death of Savitri in Pudukkottai

a few months ago after the police, who nabbed the couple at a check post, sent Savitri to her parent’s home, the petitioner said: “Despite Savitiri making it known that she was a major and she feared for her life at the hands of her parents, the police officers concerned failed to appreciate that Savitri’s decision was paramount.”

Petitioner’s counsel Deepika Murali on pointing out that Savitri’s case is not an isolated incident of police apathy in matters concerning inter-caste marriage has been a recurring phenomenon said: “Had the police officers concerned acted in consonance with law, we would not have lost Savitri to a suspected case of honour killing.”

Based on this, the plea sought for a direction to the State to create special cells for the protection of inter-caste couples and furnish a status report on the creation of such cells. The plea also sought, as a final relief, the constitution of a committee to oversee the incidents of honour killing in Tamil Nadu and submit a periodical report to the court.