During the COVID-19 pandemic, in eight incidents, nine honour killings had been reported in the State. There were five murders and four suicides, said A. Kathir, executive director of Evidence, Madurai-based non-governmental organisation.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, he said the government had done nothing tangible to discourage these offences and stood as a mute spectator, in contravention of broad guidelines laid out by the Supreme Court in March 2018.
A fact-finding team from the Evidence visited a vilalge in Karur district where a 23-year-old youth, Hariharan, was brutally murdered by a 12-member gang in broad daylight on January 6.The boy from a barber community and the girl from an intermediate caste were in love for three years. The family members of the girl had summoned the boy and his father and threatened with dire consequences. The girl had subsequently called Hariharan’s mother and informed that she would marry only her son.
While the police had arrested only five accused till Thursday, the remaining suspects figuring in the complaint must also be arrested, Mr. Kathir said.
The State government should give ₹25 lakh as compensation to Hariharan’s family, the police should be directed to oppose the bail applications and the government should strengthen security for inter-caste or inter community couples who lived in constant threat.
The Centre should frame stringent laws against the offenders and implement them across the country, which alone would prevent the rise in honour killings, Mr. Kathir said.
