Stating that 36 honour killings were reported in Telangana State in past two years, a social activist moved Telangana High Court seeking a direction to the government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate all those homicide cases.
Sexagenarian U. Sambashiva Rao of Bahujana Resistance Forum (BRF), who filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea, requested the HC to ensure that guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in honour killings cases were enforced by the State. Submitting to the HC to declare the alleged failure of the police to contain honour killings as illegal and arbitrary, the petitioner said the police failed to conduct a fair and effective investigation in such cases.
Describing the double murder — of a woman K. Sushrutha and her four-month-old son Devarsh — two months ago at Ghatkesar on city outskirts as a classic case of honour killing, the petitioner pleaded with the court to form a SIT to investigate the case. The victim in the case, before getting killed allegedly at the instance of her in-laws, appealed to the government, including the police, for help.
Legal procedures
She feared death in the hands of in-laws and sought protection for the same but to no avail, the petitioner’s counsel V. Raghunath stated. The investigators handled the case in a mechanical and casual manner, the petition said. The police officials failed to look beyond issuing a First Information Report (FIR) and allowed it to lose its way in the labyrinth of legal procedure, it stated.
Comparing the Ghatkesar “honour killing” with Non-Resident Indian Ch. Jayaram murder case, he observed the “State had gone beyond its usual endeavours” and had set up a SIT exclusively for that case. In Ghatkesar, not much progress in the investigation was reported barring recording statements of some persons, the petitioner said.
Referring to the Apex Court directions in Khap panchayat case, the petitioner said they were not taken in their true spirit by the State official machinery. The petitioner claimed that his BRF had spoken with the kith and kin of the victims in 36 honour killing cases by visiting their houses.
It was found that in majority cases the victims had already met the police official apprehending threat to their respective lives. The killing of Pranay in Nalgonda was an example, the petitioner stated.
