New Delhi,  Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today disfavoured framing of any special provision to deal with the cases of ‘honour’ killing, saying that the existing law is sufficient enough to handle such matters. “Murder is murder, whoever commits (it) with whatever motive. It’s not a question of (involvement of) a panchayat or an individual. Law is already there (to deal with such cases). Efforts should be made to get them punished (under the existing law),” he told reporters here. Hooda was replying to a question whether there should be a special provision to deal with the cases of ‘honour’ killings. “Section 120-B of IPC can be invoked to deal with those involved in planning or conspiring a murder. They will be equally liable to the punishment as provided for those committing murder. No body can take law in his hand,” he said. Arrangements should be made to ensure a speedy trial of such cases through fast track courts, he added. When asked about the steps taken by his government to curb instances of ‘honour’ killing in his state, Hooda said, “seven persons were convicted (in a case) in Haryana. Five of these seven convicts were sentenced to death.” He said as a custom, marriage in the same gotra (sub caste) is not allowed in several communities in North India including his state, adding “but no panchayat has got legal sanctity to deliver death penalty.” Expressing his views on the raging issue before a Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukhrjee on August 25, the Haryana CM described ‘honour’ killing as a “social evil” but said Khap Panchayats had no role to play in these incidents. According to media reports, as many as 900 incidents of ‘honour’ killings take place in three states alone Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh – every year.

In a suspected honour killing, a 21-year-old boy was allegedly murdered by his in-laws despite the Punjab and Haryana High Court having directed the Sangrur police to protect the couple.

The police have registered an FIR against the relatives of Manjit Kaur, a resident of Ubbawal village, who had married Raja Ram, a resident of Kutta Khana village, in July.

Police said Raja Ram’s body was recovered from the railway tracks near Dinra village two days after he was allegedly kidnapped by his in-laws. “We suspect this to be a case of honour killing,” cops said, adding that the couple was given protection by the court.

Kaur told The Indian Express they had submitted an application in the High Court, fearing threat to their lives from her family. “We had shifted to Sangrur from our village, and despite the cops being directed by the High Court, my husband was kidnapped late on Friday night and later murdered,” she said.

Hari Singh, the victim’s father, alleged that Manjit’s family members had been threatening to eliminate his son for the past one month. His body was thrown on the tracks to show that it was an accident. “The killers must be hanged,” he said.

The victim’s family members alleged “if the police had played an active role on Friday night, he could have been saved”.

However, Sangrur SHO (city) Rantir Singh claimed they did their best to locate Raja Ram.

“We have registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC against the relatives of Manjit Kaur, and those named include her uncles Gagandeep Singh, Gurjant and Satpal Singh,” he said.

In a case of attempted honour killing, a man shot at his niece who was riding on a motorcycle with her lover near Hindon Air Force station here Tuesday, police said.

Jyoti, a 23-year-old government school teacher in Delhi, was travelling on a motorcycle with her lover Deepak from the national capital to Dadri.

As they reached near the Hindon Air Force station, the girl’s uncle Pramod Sharma came on a motorcycle, dragged a pistol from his pocket, fired a shot at his niece and fled from the spot.

The bullet hit the girl on her right shoulder. Deepak rushed her to a local hospital where her condition was stated to be critical due to blood loss, the attending doctor said.

Deepak lodged a complaint with the police in which he said that he was going to Dadri along with Jyoti as they were asked to reach their native place to sort out the dispute.

‘She was in love with Jyoti for the last four years. Their conservative family members were creating problems for them and her uncle attempted to kill her,’ Superintendent of Police City A.K. Vijaita said.

‘We have registered a case against Sharma and are trying to arrest him. He is absconding. A team has been dispatched to nab him,’ he added.

Haryana will soon establish its own human rights commission to prevent violation of human rights like honour killings and attacks on Dalits.

“The state government has directed the administration to take necessary steps to establishing our own human rights commission at the earliest. The commission will be headed by a retired chief justice of a high court,” Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Saturday.

Officials Sunday said the decision was taken in the wake of a long-pending demand of various social activists and NGOs to establish a separate human rights commission in Haryana.

“Although there is not an immediate need to have such a commission in Haryana as the law and order situation is very good…but we have taken this decision on the basis of demands from various organisations,” Hooda told IANS.

Currently, at least 14 states, including the neighbouring Punjab, have their own human rights commissions.

“We are committed to launch more such initiatives so that our citizens feel safe and secure. Recently, we also launched a Police Complaint Authority to keep a tab on unruly policemen,” Hooda said.

A State Human Rights Commission would play a key role in checking rights violations like honour killings and attacks on Dalits in Haryana.

On April 21, the houses of Dalits in Hisar districts Mirchpur village were torched by members of the upper caste Jat community. A 70-year-old man and his 18-year-old physically challenged daughter were killed and at least 18 houses damaged in the attack.

Led by Haryana Chief Minister BS Hooda, the five northern states facing the menace of honour killings, seem to be using the lack of official data to undermine the seriousness of the problem. At a Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting recently, Hooda, however, has absolved the khaps of any wrongdoing. “They have no role in honour killings,” he said.

Apart from Harayana, two independent studies have held the caste panchayats (khaps) responsible for the trend of honour killings in states such as Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. These states have witnessed a spurt in such killings in recent months.

However, the chief ministers of other four states did not attend the GoM meeting and as a response, the state governments said the problem was not serious in their states.

The ground situation, however, tells a different story. According to a study commissioned by the National Commission for Women, the findings show “honour killings are a north Indian phenomenon.”

Out of 560 cases profiled in these states by an NGO Shakti Vahini, in 89 percent cases, the couples, who have married against the wishes of their families had been threatened. “Honour killings have been reported most from those areas where the khap panchayats are active, and in these 560 cases, 121 persons had lost their lives,” says the study.

It contradicts the khaps’ arguement they only oppose marriages within the same sub-caste (gotra). “Honour killings are less about gotra issue and more about inter-caste marriages and the reaction to inter-caste marriages are much stronger and violent when the girl marries a dalit or a lower caste than hers,” it noted.

A research paper presented at an international conference on child abduction, relocation and forced marriages at London in June, Chandigarh based legal experts Anil and Ranjit Malhotra said :“Forced marriages and honour killings are often interwined. Marriages can be forced to save honour and women can be murdered for rejecting a forced marriage.”

According to the UN Population Fund, 5,000 women are murdered for ‘honour’ every year around the world . Though there are no official figures for India, a paper presented at a talk organised by the London Metropolitan University in June, put the number of honour killings as 1,000 every year.

Whi­le pr­o­vi­di­ng p­rote­cti­on­  t­o­ t­h­e l­ife and­ l­ib­er­t­y­ o­f a newl­y­ m­ar­r­ied­ co­upl­e, asser­t­ed­ o­n Wed­nesd­ay­ t­h­at­ it­ was a m­at­t­er­ o­f g­rave

co­nce­rn t­ha­t­ t­he­ Go­ve­rnm­e­nt­ ha­d fa­i­l­e­d t­o­ di­scha­rge­ i­t­s co­nst­i­t­ut­i­o­na­l­ o­bl­i­ga­t­i­o­n o­f p­ro­vi­di­ng se­curi­t­y t­o­ i­t­s ci­t­i­z­e­ns.

J­u­stice­ Pe­r­mo­d Ko­hli sa­i­d, “I­t i­s a­ m­a­tter o­f­ grea­t co­ncern a­nd regret a­s w­ell tha­t the co­u­rt ha­s been ca­lled u­p­o­n ti­m­e a­nd a­ga­i­n to­ f­i­ght the seri­o­u­s so­u­l m­ena­ce o­f­ ho­no­u­r rep­ri­m­a­nd a­nd k­illin­g­s pla­gu­in­g th­e so­ciety­, w­h­ich­ o­th­er­w­ise is th­e co­n­stitu­tio­n­a­l o­bliga­tio­n­ o­f­ th­e we­lfa­r­e­ sta­te­.”

T­he court­ al­so ob­serv­ed t­hat­ Hary­ana had not­ f­av­ourab­l­y­ resp­onded t­o ev­ol­v­e a m­­echanism­­ f­or p­rot­ect­ion of­ such coup­l­es as direct­ed earl­ier b­y­ t­he court­ in it­s order dat­ed June 23, 2008 t­o P­unjab­, Hary­ana and UT Cha­n­d­i­ga­rh.

“Li­fe­ a­n­d li­be­r­t­y o­f­ t­he c­it­izens is o­f­ ut­m­o­st­ im­po­r­t­anc­e under­ t­he C­o­nst­it­ut­io­n. St­at­e is bo­und t­o­ pr­o­t­ec­t­ it­… Inac­t­io­n o­f­ st­at­e and it­s f­unc­t­io­nar­ies, par­t­ic­ular­ly­ law enf­o­r­c­ing­ ag­enc­ies, f­o­r­c­es suc­h po­o­r­ r­unaway­ c­o­uples t­o­ appr­o­ac­h t­his c­o­ur­t­ ev­er­y­ no­w and t­hen,” r­ead t­he o­r­der­.

Ak­ht­ar­, a r­esident­ o­f­ G­hag­at­ v­illag­e in P­a­lw­a­l dis­trict o­­f­ H­a­ry­a­na­, ha­d we­d T­a­ra­n­um o­f Muke­ra­ i­n­ Bul­a­n­dsha­ha­r, Ut­t­a­r Pra­de­sh, o­n­ A­ugust­ 15. T­he­ n­i­ka­h wa­s pe­rfo­rme­d by t­he­i­r mut­ua­l­ co­n­se­n­t­, but­ a­ga­i­n­st­ t­he­ wi­she­s o­f t­he­ bri­de­’s pa­re­n­t­s.

A­s pe­r t­he­ pe­t­i­t­i­o­n­, fa­ce­d wi­t­h t­hre­a­t­s fro­m t­he­ re­l­a­t­i­ve­s o­f t­he­ bri­de­, t­he­ co­upl­e­ a­ppro­a­che­d t­he­ Sup­erint­end­ent­ o­­f P­o­­lic­e, Palwal, o­n­ Aug­ust­ 16 t­hr­o­ug­h a wr­it­t­e­n­ c­o­mplain­t­ se­e­kin­g­ se­c­ur­it­y­. Whe­n­ n­o­ ac­t­io­n­ was t­ake­n­, t­he­ c­o­uple­ was fo­r­c­e­d t­o­ mo­v­e­ Hi­gh Court.

T­h­e c­o­urt­ h­as issued no­t­ic­e t­o­ H­o­m­e Sec­ret­ary­, H­ary­ana, SP Palwal and SH­O C­h­an­an­th­ polic­e station­, P­al­wal­ and dire­ct­e­d th­e­m­ to­ p­ro­vide­ se­cu­rity­ to­ th­e­ co­u­p­l­e­. “Righ­t fro­m­ th­e­ c­o­­urt­ ro­­o­­m to thei­r­ home an­­d f­ur­ther­, s­af­ety s­hal­l­ be en­­s­ur­ed,” s­ai­d the c­our­t. N­­oti­c­es­ wer­e al­s­o i­s­s­ued to s­ev­en­­ r­el­ati­v­es­ of­ the br­i­de f­or­ thr­eaten­­i­n­­g the c­oupl­e.

Source HT City

Keep your Heart Beats cool, Because in this week Uttar Rajya Navnirman Sena (UNS) going to host Marriages of 100+ couples in Dehradun against Khap Panchayats.

Dehradun going to be Witness of 100+ couples to get married against Khap Panchayats on 29 August, 2010. According to sources few Politics, film personalities and a few industrialists will become witness of this historic moment in Dehradun.

This historic step against Honor Killings / Honour Killings / Khap Panchayats taken by Uttar Rajya Navnirman Sena (UNS). This unique event has begun preparations in uttarakhands capital Dehradun, it is another matter that for security reasons it is kept very confidential.

Indeed, a few months ago a handful of youngsters took step against Khap Panchayats and now its looking to take a Good Step against fighting these Khap Panchayats with the Help of UNS. Uttar Rajya Navnirman Sena is going to set up homes of couples who left there homes becauase of Khap Panchayats fear.

Success movement of this step can be seen by this ratio that within six months above fifty thousands couples joined hands with Uttar Rajya Navnirman Sena. These couples are Victims of Khap Panchayats Fear. UNS selected 100 couples from these Couples and now going to arrange there marriage in Dehradun capital of Uttarakhand.

Preparation for this historic moment is going on in Dehradun and this event will take place on 29 August, 2010. For making this Event Historic and successful UNS asked for security from Police and Government.

The celebrities which seems to attend this historic events are MP Amart Singh, Brinda Karat, Nitish Karara’s Mother Neelam Katara, Rajnigandha Group of Chariman, Item Girl Sambhavna Seth, Actress MP Jaya Prada and many other including the industry, several major celebrities of film and political field to bless newly married couples are expected to arrive.

On the Question of choosing Dehradun UNS charirman Mr. Jaani said that Khap Panchayats has fear in western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana is the most So was looking for a place where UNS should not face any problem in preparations for this event and Dehradun is the ideal place for this Event.

In yet another suspected case of honor/honour killing, a man shot dead his daughter and her lover Thursday at Chandpurana village in this Punjab district, police said.

According to the police, the deceased were identified as Lovepreet Kaur, 17, and Harjinder Singh, 22.

“According to the preliminary investigation, it has been revealed that Lovepreet and Harjinder were seeing each other for the last many months. At around 1 a.m. Thursday, Harjinder went to Lovepreet’s house to meet her,” Partap Singh, a police officer.

“Lovepreet’s father could not control his anger on seeing Harjinder inside his daughter’s room and fired at both of them. On hearing the gunshots, Harjinder’s brother, who was waiting outside, came to intervene. He also sustained bullet injury in the thigh and is admitted in a hospital,” he added.

Singh said it could be a case of honour killing but it was too early to confirm as investigations were still going on.

Meanwhile, the police are raiding various places to nab the accused as he fled from the village after the crime.

The two bodies have been sent for post-mortem examinations in a civil hospital here.

New Delhi, A Delhi court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of two persons accused of burning a youth who had married their sister after eloping with her nearly seven months ago. “Considering the serious nature of allegations, at this stage, no case is made out to grant anticipatory bail to accused Neeraj and Sonu,” Additional Sessions Judge Sarita Birbal said. Victim Rajesh Negi, who secretly married neighbour Bhavna on January 14 this year, was burnt alive by Neeraj, Sonu, brothers of the girl, and an unidentified person on the evening of August two here, the FIR alleged.

Five days after the incident, the victim succumbed to burn injuries at a hospital here. The accused, who have so far not been arrested, had moved the application seeking anticipatory bail on the ground that the victim committed suicide after their sister refused to live with him. The court dismissed their plea after being informed that the victim, in his dying declaration, has accused them of pouring petrol on him and setting him on fire. It also considered a prior complaint lodged with the police by the victim himself in which he had apprehended threat to his life from the accused and their family members.