Expressing dissatisfaction over the additional affidavit filed by police department over honour killings in a PIL petition, Telangana High Court instructed the authorities to file a fresh affidavit with complete details on the issue.
A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, hearing the PIL plea on Wednesday, noted the affidavit filed by the police department was wishy-washy and lacked the precise information it had sought to know. The petition was filed two years ago by Telangana State Bahujan Resistance Forum seeking to declare alleged inaction of police officials to check rising honour killings in the State.
The Forum wanted the HC to instruct the State government to comply with the guidelines laid down by Supreme Court in Shakti Vahini vs Union of India in the matter. After perusing the affidavit filed by Additional DGP (Legal) Rajiv Ratan (representing DGP), the CJ said it lacked information the HC had asked for.
Follow-up action
There were no details of the precise action plan of the police department to stem rising honour killing cases and the follow-up action they had taken in already reported cases. “If you take court directions lightly, we will also take you lightly,” the CJ said expressing dissatisfaction over the content of the affidavit.
While the petitioner claimed that 36 persons died due to honour killings in the State, the affidavit maintained that only four such instances were reported in four years from 2017. Three assault cases relating to caste pride were also registered during the same period.
The bench, however, said the figures presented by the police were a bit doubtful. The CJ remarked that the bench had reservations about the statistics furnished in the affidavit. Referring to the 50 instances of ‘khap panchayats’ reported in the State, the HC asked what had the police done in those cases.
Special Government Pleader Sanjeev Kumar informed the court that those cases were reported before the government had issued a circular to the authorities on the plan of action to contain and deal with honour killing cases.
