NHRC notices to the Government of Tamil Nadu over reported honour killing (14.3.2016)

PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, 14th March, 2016

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports alleging honour killing of a young Dalit man, who married a girl of upper caste, in Udumalaipett, District Thiruppur, Tamil Nadu on the 13th March, 2016. Reportedly, three unidentified men hacked the couple with sickles and vanished. The man died on the way to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital while the woman is undergoing medical treatment.

Issuing notices to the Government of Tamil Nadu, through its Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, calling for a report in the matter within four weeks, the Commission has observed that the incident raises serious question relating to the safety of the persons belonging to lower castes in the country. In this case, the man belonged to a Scheduled Caste and had married an upper caste Hindu girl. The matter was in the knowledge of the police but it failed to provide them adequate security.

According to the media reports, 22 year old engineering student, Shankar S/o Velusamy, belonging to a Scheduled Caste, resident of Komaralingam, had married Kousalya D/o Chinnasamy, against the wishes of the girl's family in the year 2015. The girl's family had attempted to bring her back through police but she refused saying that she was a major and had exercised her right to marry the man of her choice.

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