Directions on honour killings ignored by police: Punjab and Haryana High Court

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 1

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that affidavits and reports in honour killing cases have showed flagrant violation of some of the directions already issued by the Supreme Court (SC) and the High Court. It also showed delay or laxity in proper investigation, collection of evidence available and delay in the conclusion of trial.

The Bench also ordered inquiry into an alleged honour killing case before directing departmental action against the defaulting police officers/officials. The observations and directions by Justice Ajay Kumar Tyagi on August 31 came in a case involving allegations of honour killing of a youth, Dharambir, by “persons whose honour was allegedly subjected to disgrace by the deceased by performing marriage with their relative”.

SC orders flouted

The honour killing case of youth Dharambir was a glaring example of how the SC directions were flouted, how the necessity of protection to couple marrying against family wishes was ignored and how cops failed to take prompt action to rescue the couple. —High Court Bench

Justice Tyagi asserted that the present case was a glaring example of how the SC directions were flouted, how the necessity of protection to couple marrying against family wishes was ignored, how the police failed to take prompt action to rescue the couple on information given to it, how the police tried to understate the offences, delay the investigation, shield the accused by its inaction and still claim there was no laxity or delay in investigation.

He added that it also showed how the higher police officers, who did not even know that the case fell in the category of honour killing and that they were required to follow SC directions, looked the other way round. They ignored the deficiencies surfacing during investigation with almost culpable failure to appropriately supervise /monitor the investigation and take appropriate remedial action to discharge their statutory obligations.

“It will be appropriate that the Director-General of Police, Haryana, gets an inquiry conducted into the matter and directs taking of appropriate departmental action against the defaulting police officers/officials”. Referring to the facts of the case, Justice Tyagi observed that the couple withdrew protection petition filed before a Sirsa court after kin made statements they had no objection to the petitioners’ marriage.

The police had knowledge regarding their marriage and protection petition, but it appeared that efforts were not made to rescue the couple immediately on the receipt of the information on their abduction. The woman was recovered, yet raids were apparently not conducted to arrest persons named by her or to join them in investigation for ascertaining his whereabouts the same day

It appeared the police did not record her statements by informing her regarding his murder “for ascertaining the circumstances leading to or attending the causing of his death”.

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