Honour killing cases require fast track probes by SITs without unwarranted sympathy for offenders: Punjab and Haryana High Court

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana Government to place of record the number of crimes registered involving honour killing, whether such investigations were fast-tracked and is steps were taken to protect the survivors (Ravi Kumar v. State of Punjab)..The Bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi declared it necessary for the High Court to exercise its inherent power to do complete justice, and issued directions to the Haryana Government seeking:.The figures pertaining to registered cases involving honour killing,The Government's steps to fast track investigations and trial of these cases,Steps taken for the protection of the survivor wife/husband and other principal witnesses to the crime..Before issuing these directions, the Court quoted the Supreme Court's pronouncement in Bhagwan Dass v. State (NCT) of Delhi where the Court recommended the death penalty for those found guilty in honour killing cases..In that case, the Supreme Court had stated:."Often young couples who fall in love have to seek shelter in the police lines or protection homes, to avoid the wrath of kangaroo courts. We have held in Lata Singh's case (supra) that there is nothing 'honourable' in 'honour' killings, and they are nothing but barbaric and brutal murders by bigoted, persons with feudal minds...It is time to stamp out these barbaric, feudal practices which are a slur on our nation. This is necessary as a deterrent for such outrageous, uncivilized behaviour. All persons who are planning to perpetrate 'honour' killings should know that the gallows await them.”.The High Court issued the directions to the Haryana State government while hearing a bail plea of a person accused in an honour killing. The accused and 12 others killed one Sunita Rani's husband, Dharambir, at Fatehabad two years ago..The accused was charged under Sections 285, 148, 149, 452, 364, 365, 302, 201 and 120-B of the IPC, 1860 and Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1959..Though the bail application moved by the accused was opposed, the Haryana Government did not bring on record any efforts made by it to rescue the couple..In light of this, the High Court spoke of the necessity to fast track investigations in honour killing cases, without any "unwarranted sympathy with the offenders.".Justice Tyagi remarked:."...cases involving honour killing require fast track investigation by Special Investigation Teams having members with requisite expertise without any undue delay in investigation and unwarranted sympathy with the offenders while making sincere dedicated serious efforts for collection of circumstantial evidence available, taking of steps for protection of the witnesses including the survivor-wife or the husband and other important witnesses in completion of the chain of circumstantial evidence incriminating the accused responsible for commission of the heinous offence and also fast track trial before the Court for early disposal of the case by securing presence of the prosecution witnesses before the Court...".The matter has been adjourned to November 10, 2020..Read the Order: