Tag: Honour killing

  • Bihar: Love affair between driver and daughter of Sarpanch ends in suspected honour killing

    Express News Service

    PATNA: In a suspected case of honour killing in Bihar, the bodies of a couple have been found on a railway track three km east of Begusarai railway station. 

    Police said that the deceased had been identified as Ramnunu Paswan (25), a native of Rajapur Dumri under Lakho police station limits and the Sarpanch’s daughter Rupam Kumari, a native of Ayodhya Bari village.

    The woman victim’s mother Anita Devi, who is a Sarpanch, claimed, “We have nothing to do with the twin murder. Both my daughter and the man, who was our driver, were having a love affair for a long time. When we came to know about it, we sacked him from the job. Later, both of them entered into a suicide pact and killed themselves.”

    Police said Ramnunu was working as a driver at the home of Sarpanch for the last several years and he fell in love with her (sarpanch’s) daughter and continued to meet her even after he was sacked from the job.

    It is widely believed that the Sarpanch masterminded the murder of his daughter as she allegedly called the driver from his house on the pretext of downloading sand from a tractor trolley. But Sarpanch and her other accomplices thrashed him and killed him subsequently.

    As people were agitated over the twin murder, the parents of the girl surrendered at Lakho police station. Police are interrogating them to unravel the truth behind the twin murder. 

    PATNA: In a suspected case of honour killing in Bihar, the bodies of a couple have been found on a railway track three km east of Begusarai railway station. 

    Police said that the deceased had been identified as Ramnunu Paswan (25), a native of Rajapur Dumri under Lakho police station limits and the Sarpanch’s daughter Rupam Kumari, a native of Ayodhya Bari village.

    The woman victim’s mother Anita Devi, who is a Sarpanch, claimed, “We have nothing to do with the twin murder. Both my daughter and the man, who was our driver, were having a love affair for a long time. When we came to know about it, we sacked him from the job. Later, both of them entered into a suicide pact and killed themselves.”

    Police said Ramnunu was working as a driver at the home of Sarpanch for the last several years and he fell in love with her (sarpanch’s) daughter and continued to meet her even after he was sacked from the job.

    It is widely believed that the Sarpanch masterminded the murder of his daughter as she allegedly called the driver from his house on the pretext of downloading sand from a tractor trolley. But Sarpanch and her other accomplices thrashed him and killed him subsequently.

    As people were agitated over the twin murder, the parents of the girl surrendered at Lakho police station. Police are interrogating them to unravel the truth behind the twin murder. 

  • Honour killing: Lady sarpanch kills daughter, driver over alleged love affair in Bihar

    Express News Service

    PATNA: In a suspected case of honour killing in Bihar, the bodies of a couple have been found on a railway track three km east of Begusarai railway station. 

    Police said that the deceased has been identified as Ramnunu Paswan (25), a native of Rajapur Dumri under Lakho police station limits and the sarpanch’s daughter Rupam Kumari, a native of Ayodhya Bari village.

    The woman victim’s mother Anita Devi, who is a sarpanch, claimed that the couple committed suicide. “We have nothing to do with the twin murder. Both my daughter and the man, who was our driver, were having a love affair for a long time. When we came to know about it, we sacked him from the job. Later, both of them entered into a suicide pact and killed themselves,” she said. 

    Police said Ramnunu was working as a driver at the home of the sarpanch for the last several years and he fell in love with her (sarpanch’s) daughter and continued to meet her even after he was sacked from the job.

    It is widely believed that the sarpanch masterminded the murder of her daughter as she allegedly called the driver on the pretext of offloading sand from a tractor trolley. When the driver came to her house, the sarpanch and her accomplices thrashed him to death. 

    While people were agitating over the twin murders, the parents of the girl surrendered at Lakho police station. Police are interrogating them to unravel the truth behind the twin murders. 

    PATNA: In a suspected case of honour killing in Bihar, the bodies of a couple have been found on a railway track three km east of Begusarai railway station. 

    Police said that the deceased has been identified as Ramnunu Paswan (25), a native of Rajapur Dumri under Lakho police station limits and the sarpanch’s daughter Rupam Kumari, a native of Ayodhya Bari village.

    The woman victim’s mother Anita Devi, who is a sarpanch, claimed that the couple committed suicide. “We have nothing to do with the twin murder. Both my daughter and the man, who was our driver, were having a love affair for a long time. When we came to know about it, we sacked him from the job. Later, both of them entered into a suicide pact and killed themselves,” she said. 

    Police said Ramnunu was working as a driver at the home of the sarpanch for the last several years and he fell in love with her (sarpanch’s) daughter and continued to meet her even after he was sacked from the job.

    It is widely believed that the sarpanch masterminded the murder of her daughter as she allegedly called the driver on the pretext of offloading sand from a tractor trolley. When the driver came to her house, the sarpanch and her accomplices thrashed him to death. 

    While people were agitating over the twin murders, the parents of the girl surrendered at Lakho police station. Police are interrogating them to unravel the truth behind the twin murders. 

  • Jharkhand man killed over relationship with woman of another community; 11 arrested

    By PTI

    RANCHI: A 45-year-old man was allegedly murdered in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district for his relationship with a woman of another community, police said on Friday.

    Some people of Dhawaiya village in Mahuatand were “unhappy” with Imraj Ansari’s affair with the woman, they said.

    “The unhappy villagers murdered him around 8 pm on Thursday,” Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Jha told PTI.

    Eleven people have been arrested in connection with the murder so far, he said.

    “We have deployed adequate police force at the village to avert any law and order problem,” he added.

    An investigation is underway, police said, refusing to share more details immediately given the sensitivity of the case.

    RANCHI: A 45-year-old man was allegedly murdered in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district for his relationship with a woman of another community, police said on Friday.

    Some people of Dhawaiya village in Mahuatand were “unhappy” with Imraj Ansari’s affair with the woman, they said.

    “The unhappy villagers murdered him around 8 pm on Thursday,” Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Jha told PTI.

    Eleven people have been arrested in connection with the murder so far, he said.

    “We have deployed adequate police force at the village to avert any law and order problem,” he added.

    An investigation is underway, police said, refusing to share more details immediately given the sensitivity of the case.

  • Honour killing: Casteism not annihilated even after 75 years of independence, says Supreme Court

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Incidents of caste-motivated violence show that casteism has not been annihilated even after 75 years of independence and it is high time civil society reacts and responds with “strong disapproval” about the ghastly crimes committed in the name of caste, the Supreme Court has said.

    The apex court, which delivered its verdict on a batch of pleas in a 1991 Uttar Pradesh honour killing case, in which three persons, including a woman were killed, said it had earlier issued several directions to authorities to take strong measures to prevent honour killings.

    Those directives should be carried out without any further delay, it said.

    A bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao also said that to avert trial getting tainted and “truth becoming a casualty”, the State has a definite role to play in protecting witnesses, to start with, at least in sensitive cases involving those in power who have political patronage and could wield muscle and money power.

    It said that “bigotry” perpetuated by caste-based practices, which are prevalent even today, impedes the Constitution’s objective of equality for all citizens.

    “Two young men and a woman were physically assaulted for nearly 12 hours and killed by the accused for violating caste-ridden societal norms.

    These episodes of caste-motivated violence in the country demonstrates the fact that casteism has not been annihilated even after 75 years of independence,” the bench, also comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai, said.

    The top court, while upholding the Allahabad High Court verdict with regard to conviction of 23 accused in the case, acquitted three persons in view of ambiguity in their identity.

    Referring to the aspect of witness protection, the bench noted that 12 prosecution witnesses in the case turned hostile.

    “Even if the witnesses have turned hostile, their evidence can be accepted, if they are natural and independent witnesses and have no reason to falsely implicate the accused,” it said.

    The apex court said the right to testify in courts in a free and fair manner, without any pressure and threat whatsoever, is “under serious attack today”, and if one is unable to testify in courts due to threats or other pressures, then it is a clear violation of the rights under articles 19 (1) (a) and 21 of the Constitution.

    “Right to life guaranteed to the people of this country also includes in its fold the right to live in a society which is free from crime and fear, and the right of witnesses to testify in courts without fear or pressure,” it said.

    The bench said one of the main reasons why witnesses turn hostile is that they are not accorded appropriate protection by the State.

    It is a “harsh reality”, particularly, in cases where the accused are influential people and are tried for heinous offences and they make attempts to terrorise or intimidate witnesses, the bench said.

    “This unfortunate situation prevails because of the reason that the State has not undertaken any protective measures to ensure the safety of these witnesses, commonly known as ‘witness protection’,” it noted while referring to an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court.

    The bench said that as a protector of its citizens, the State has to ensure that during a trial a witness can safely depose the truth, without any fear of being haunted by those against whom he or she has deposed.

    It noted that according to Dr B R Ambedkar, inter-caste marriage is one remedy to get rid of casteism in order to achieve equality.

    “His vision for ensuring justice and equality to all sections of society, especially to the repressed segments, is well enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution,” the bench said.

    “Though the number is a tad less, honour killings have not stopped in this country and it is high time that the civil society reacts and responds with strong disapproval about the ghastly crimes committed in the name of caste,” it said.

    Referring to an earlier verdict of the apex court, the bench said honour killings, pursuant to the decree of ‘khap panchayats, have been strongly criticised by the top court in its earlier verdict.

    It said harsh punishment was recommended to those “brutal and feudal minded persons” who commit atrocities in the name of castes.

    “The Law Commission of India in its 242nd report suggested the legal framework on prevention of interference with the freedom of matrimonial alliances in the name of honour and tradition,” the bench noted.

    The ‘panchayatdars’ or caste elders have no right to interfere with the life and liberty of young couples whose marriages are permitted by law.

    They cannot create a situation whereby such couples are placed in a hostile environment in the village or locality concerned and exposed to the risk of safety, it said The bench said in the interest of “liberty and dignity” of young men and women in choosing their life partners and in the interest of peace, tranquillity and equality in society, it is imminently necessary that directions issued by the apex court earlier should be carried out by states without any further delay.

    It also referred to the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, which was approved by the apex court earlier.

    In the 1991 Uttra Pradesh honour killing case, a trial court in November 2011 had convicted 35 accused.

    The high court had acquitted two while conviction of remaining persons were upheld by the high court.

    However, the high court had commuted the death sentence awarded to eight convicts to life term till the end of natural life.

  • Man rapes, murders daughter for marrying man from another caste in MP

    Express News Service

    BHOPAL: A shocking case of a young woman being raped and killed for honour allegedly by her father has been reported from the jungles on the outskirts of Bhopal. A 55-year-old farmer and son have been arrested by Ratibad police of Bhopal in connection with the case.

    According to police sources, the forest department staff spotted the partially decomposed bodies of a woman and about a 6-month-old baby in a nullah in the jungles of Samasgarh on the Bhopal-Sehore border on November 14 evening.

    The probe by the Ratibad police of Bhopal took the cops to the house of the deceased woman’s elder sister in the Ratibad area of rural Bhopal, who after sustained grilling by the police identified that the body parts were of her younger sister and nephew.

    She told the cops that around a year and a half back, her sister married a man she loved after going against the wishes of parents and family (the family hailed from a scheduled caste) in the Bilkisganj area of Sehore district. The woman’s parents were enraged as the man belongs to an OBC caste. A few weeks ago, the young woman along with her child came to her sister’s house in Ratibad, where her child died due to some infection on Diwali day (November 4). Her elder sister informed her father and brother about the infant’s death, after which the father-son duo came to Ratibad.

    “Not knowing about their horrific plans, the young woman accompanied them back to Sehore for the last rites of her child. But on the way to Bilkisganj, the father-son duo stopped near the jungles of Samasgarh on the Bhopal-Sehore border. The young woman was then dragged into the jungles and raped by her father and later murdered for the honour. The infant’s body too was dumped there,” Ratibad police station in-charge Sudesh Tiwari said.

    “The deceased woman’s elder sister was told by her father and brother over the phone about the ghastly crime on November 5, but she didn’t report it to police as they had threatened to kill her if she made the matter public,” Tiwari added.

    Acting on the information, the Bhopal Police arrested the father-son duo on Monday late at night. The duo confessed that they committed the crime to avenge the disgrace the woman brought to the family by marrying a man from another caste.

  • SC to hear woman’s plea against bail to mother in case of ‘honour-killing’ of son-in-law

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Thursday agreed to consider a plea of a woman seeking cancellation of bail of her mother who along with her husband and son is accused of hatching conspiracy to get her son-in-law killed in a sensational case of honour killing in 2017.

    Kerala youth Amit Nair, who married Jaipur-based Mamta of other caste against the wishes of her parents and brother in 2015, was shot dead allegedly by a hired killer in 2017.

    A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose, which had earlier cancelled the bail granted to the brother, was urged by senior lawyer Indira Jaising that this was the fit case for cancellation of the bail.

    The senior lawyer said Bhagwani Devi, the mother, had an active role in the killing of her son-in-law and the court below has wrongly granted her the bail and not only that, now the father, who is also a co-accused, has been granted bail.

    “Issue notice,: the bench said, adding that it will consider the plea for cancellation of bail of father later when the separate petition would be filed by his widow daughter.

    The apex court on July 12 had cancelled the bail granted by the Rajasthan High Court to accused Mukesh Choudhary, accused of conspiring to kill Nair, a friend and brother-in-law.

    The bench had termed as “unsustainable” the bail granted to Choudhary and had asked him to surrender before the lower court which will have to conclude the trial in the case within a year.

    It is significant to note that the apex court had cancelled the bail to Mukesh Choudhary earlier also saying that “the documents already taken note by this Court indicates that there is prima facie material against the respondent No.2”.

    The apex court had rejected the submission of the accused that the prime witness, the wife of the deceased, has been examined during the trial and hence he may be granted bail in the case.

    The top court had said the statement of the widow of the victim was not the evidence in its entirety.

    In May 2017, Jeewanram Chaudhary and Bhagwani Devi, parents of the girl, allegedly orchestrated their son-in-law Amit Nair’s murder in Jaipur.

    The police alleged that the parents of the woman entered her residence along with an unknown accomplice who shot Amit and a second accomplice waited in a car outside.

    The FIR was lodged by Amit’s mother Rama Devi in Jaipur on May 17, 2017, under sections 452 (house trespass), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

    Amit had studied civil engineering and started a construction business while Mamta is an LL.B graduate and had interned with an NGO.

  • Woman killed by kin for eloping with man of different community in Madhya Pradesh

    By PTI

    GWALIOR: In a suspected case of ‘honour killing’, a 20-year-old woman, who eloped with a man belonging to a different community, was allegedly killed by her family members at their home in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior city, a police official said on Thursday.

    After the incident on August 2, the family members tried to pass it off as a case of suicide, but the forensic report refuted their claim, following which the woman’s father and brother were arrested on Wednesday while search was on for three other absconding accused, he said.

    The woman left with a man from a different community on June 5 and came back on July 7.

    After she disappeared, her parents filed a missing person’s report at Janakganj police station, city Superintendent of Police Atmaram Sharma said.

    After she returned, the police sent her to a women’s shelter home, he said.

    On July 31, the woman gave her consent to stay with her parents following which she came back home.

    Later, on August 2, her father went to the police station and claimed that his daughter had committed suicide by hanging herself, the official said.

    A police team along with forensic experts then went to the spot to conduct an investigation into the matter.

    The official said after examining the spot, police got suspicious and later, forensic experts in their report also said the woman did not commit suicide, but was hanged by others.

    He said when the woman’s father and other relatives were questioned, they told the police that they had killed her and tried to pass it off as a case of suicide.

    The police subsequently arrested the victim’s father and brother and registered a case of murder, the official said.

    Search was on for three other absconding accused – the woman’s uncle and two cousin brothers, he added.

  • SC cancels bail granted by Rajasthan High Court to man accused in honour killing case

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled the bail granted by the Rajasthan High Court to a man accused in an honour killing case in which a Kerala youth was shot dead in 2017 allegedly at the instance of his in-laws for marrying a Jaipur-based girl belonging to another caste.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana termed as “unsustainable” the bail granted to accused Mukesh Choudhary, brother-in-law of deceased Amit Nair, and asked him to surrender before the lower court which will have to conclude the trial in the case within a year.

    “Taking into consideration the nature of the offence, it is appropriate that the trial be concluded at the earliest. The trial court shall therefore make all efforts to conclude the trial and dispose of the case as expeditiously as possible but in any event not later than one year from the date of receipt of a copy of this order,” said the bench, also comprising justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy.

    The CJI referred to an earlier order of the apex court while cancelling the bail of the brother-in-law of the deceased and said, “the documents already taken note by this Court iindicates that there is prima facie material against the respondent No.2 (Manoj Choudhary)”.

    The apex court rejected the submission of the accused that the prime witness, the wife of the deceased, has been examined during the trial and hence he may be granted bail in the case.

    The top court said the statement of the widow of the victim was not the evidence in its entirety.

    “Further, merely classifying the appellant (Mamta Nair as the principal star witness and referring to her statement is of no consequence since the entire evidence will have to be assessed by the Sessions Court before arriving at a conclusion,” it said.

    If that be the position then the apex court at an earlier instance had taken note of all aspects and had arrived at the conclusion that there is prima facie material against the accused, the judgement said.

    “We are of the considered opinion that the order dated December 1, 2020 by the High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan, Bench at Jaipur, impugned herein is not sustainable. The same is accordingly set aside and the bail granted to respondent No.2 is cancelled. We, therefore, direct the respondent No.2­ Mukesh Chaudhary to surrender before the Court”,” it said.

    The top court, however, made clear that it has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case and the trial court shall consider the case being uninfluenced by any of it’s observations.

    It noted that 21 out 47 witnesses have been examined so far and directed that the trial be concluded in a year.

    The order cancelling the bail of Mukesh Chaudhary came on a plea of his sister, Mamta Nair who had married against the wishes of her parents in August 2015.

    Mamta, a Jaipur-based girl, had married Amit, a Nair from Kerala and a friend of Mukesh Choudhary.

    Two years later in May 2017, Jeewanram Chaudhary and Bhagwani Devi, parents of the girl, allegedly orchestrated their son-in-law Amit Nair’s murder in Jaipur.

    The police alleged that the parents of the woman entered her residence along with an unknown accomplice who shot Amit and a second accomplice waited in a car outside.

    The FIR was lodged by Amit’s mother Rama Devi in Jaipur on May 17, 2017, under sections 452 (house trespass), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

    Amit had studied civil engineering and started a construction business while Mamta is an LL.B graduate and had interned with an NGO.

  • Supreme Court cancels bail granted by Rajasthan HC to honour killing accused 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI:  The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled the bail granted by the Rajasthan High Court to a man accused in a honour killing case in which a Kerala youth was shot dead in 2017 allegedly at the instance of his in-laws for marrying a Rajasthan-based girl belonging to another caste.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana asked accused Mukesh Choudhary, brother-in-law of deceased Amit Nair, to surrender before the trial court.

    The order cancelling the bail of Mukesh came on a plea of his sister, Mamta Nair who had married against the wishes of her parents in August 2015.

    Mamta, Jaipur-based girl, had married Amit, a Nair from Kerala and a friend of Mukesh Choudhary.

    Two years later in May, 2017, Jeewanram Chaudhary and Bhagwani Devi, parents of the woman, allegedly orchestrated their son-in-law Amit Nair’s murder in Jaipur.

    The police alleged the parents of the woman entered her residence along with an unknown accomplice who shot Amit and a second accomplice waited in a car outside.

    The FIR was lodged by Amit’s mother Rama Devi in Jaipur on May 17, 2017 under sections 452 (house trespass), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

    Amit had studied civil engineering and started a construction business while Mamta is an LLB graduate and had interned with an NGO.

  • Honour killing: Accused should have waited for conclusion of trial before taking bail, says SC

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday took note of the grant of bail to an accused in a case of honour killing in which a Kerala youth was shot dead in 2017 allegedly at the instance of his in-laws for marrying a Rajasthan-based girl of other caste, saying he should have waited for conclusion of trial.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, which had earlier cancelled the bail of accused Mukesh Choudhary, brother-in-law of deceased Amit Nair, was irked over the fact that the benefit of bail was granted to him by a “two-sentence” order and despite the fact that the trial in the case was still pending.

    “What is this order. Why can’t they wait. The anxiety of your client to get bail before trial is not correct. We had previously cancelled the bail. They should have waited for the trial to be completed,” the bench, also comprising justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, said.

    After hearing submissions from lawyers representing Rajasthan, senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Mamta Nair, widow of Amit Nair and the counsel for Choudhary, the apex court reserved its order seeking cancellation of bail.

    Mamta, Jaipur-based girl, had married Amit, a Nair from Kerala and a friend of Mukesh Choudhary , against the wishes of her parents in August 2015. Two years later in May, 2017, Jeewanram Chaudhary and Bhagwani Devi, parents of the woman, allegedly orchestrated their son-in-law Amit Nair’s murder in Jaipur.

    The police alleged the parents of the woman entered her residence along with an unknown accomplice who shot Amit and a second accomplice waited in a car outside.

    At the outset, Jaising said, “This is not an ordinary case. This is a blatant case of honour killing in which the husband of a woman who married against her family’s wishes was shot dead at point blank range. Accused was granted bail, against which I have come. There is a case of criminal conspiracy. His only defence is he was not present there. The girl was pregnant.”

    The senior lawyer said honour killings are prevalent in Rajasthan and in the present case, the bail of the brother of the woman was rejected on two previous occasions. “Earlier we had cancelled his bail,” the CJI said.

    Jaising said as she was arguing in the top court, she is getting the information that now the mother of the woman has been granted bail in the case. The counsel for the state government also supported the plea of Jaising and said that the bail granted to accused Manoj by the high court be cancelled.

    However, the counsel for the accused said that he was an engineer and was not present at the place of incident and moreover, he has been accused of hatching conspiracy and for that effect no evidence has been brought before the trial court.

    Moreover, only 21 prosecution witnesses, out of 46, have been examined during the trial by the prosecution and the accused cannot be allowed to languish in jail, the counsel for Manoj Choudhary said. “That is good for you. If there is no evidence, you will come out of this. Wait for the trial to be completed,” the bench said while reserving the order on the plea of Mamta Nair.

    The FIR was lodged by Amit’s mother Rama Devi in Jaipur on May 17, 2017 under sections 452 (house trespass), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. Amit had studied civil engineering and started a construction business while Mamta is an LLB graduate and had interned with an NGO.