“The punishment must reflect the collective conscience of society and send a clear message that ‘honour killings’ have no place in a civilised society governed by the rule of law.”
On Saturday, with these emphatic words, a Kaithal district court in Haryana imposed life imprisonment on two brothers for the 2017 murder of their sister’s husband, branding it an act of ‘honour killing’. The court found both brothers guilty of committing a deliberate and cold-blooded murder motivated by disapproval of their sister Pooja’s inter-caste love marriage with Balinder Singh.
The Case Stemmed from Familial Opposition to an Inter-Caste Union. According to the prosecution, the accused had never accepted the marriage of their sister Pooja with Balinder, which was solemnised in 2014. On October 18, 2017, acting on a premeditated plan and after taking their mother into confidence, the brothers summoned Balinder to Kaithal under the pretext of reconciliation. The meeting took place at a public park, where the accused opened fire on Balinder, resulting in his death on the spot.
Deputy District Attorney Sukhdeep Singh Grewal informed the court that Balinder's brother promptly lodged an FIR, which led to the arrest and prosecution of Sunil and Dilbagh. At the time of the incident, Balinder and Pooja had a two-and-a-half-year-old son. Following Pooja’s subsequent demise, the child now remains orphaned.
In its strongly worded judgment, the trial court condemned the crime as not merely a private act of violence but a societal transgression. The Court observed, “The crime committed was brutal, premeditated, and driven by misplaced notions of honour, for which there can be no justification.” The court further held that such acts, rooted in patriarchal control over women’s autonomy and personal choice, must be met with stern penal consequences to uphold the values of constitutional morality and the rule of law.
The court concluded the trial by awarding both convicts rigorous imprisonment for life under the applicable provisions of the Indian Penal Code. It emphasised that the punishment must express the community’s condemnation of honour-based violence and reinforce that such offences have no legitimacy in a democratic society governed by law.
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