HONOUR KILLING: THERE IS NO HONOUR IN KILLING
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55662/Keywords:
Honour killings, Crime, International Provisions, LawsAbstract
‘Honour Killing’ is a cultural crime or a cultural tradition prevalent amongst societies, which perceive women as bearers of family honour. Indian cultures are very deep rooted. Many young people in India have been done to death every year owing to ‘Honour Killings.’ It is because so called honour killings are based on the belief, deeply rooted in Indian cultures, which consider the women as objects and commodities, and not as human beings endowed with dignity and rights. Every year, their family members kill hundreds of women in the name of honour because they have brought shame to the family and the community. Most honour killings occur because women are considered as a vessel of the family reputation. Honour killing is the homicide of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief that the victim has brought dishonour upon the family or community. The death of the victim is viewed as a way to restore the reputation and honour of the family.
My article aims at highlighting the legal provisions to tackle with the crime of honour killing. The introduction gives a detailed glimpse of what is honour killing and which acts the family or community considers being dishonourable. Certain acts and behaviour of individuals become reasons for him or her to be killed by his or her own family. It further includes a few landmark cases related to honour killing that shook India. Honour killing is a case of murder and homicide, which has existing penalties in the Indian Penal Code, so the article also deals with those sections. It further throws light on the various legal provisions in the Indian Constitution, which can be used to put a stop to these honour killings in the country. These laws can be used as a tool to put behind bars the khap panchayat members who give orders of killing individuals for the sake of so called ‘honour’. The article further goes on to explain the international provisions related to honour crimes to which India is a signatory. And lastly, it deals with arguments in favor of creating a new law to bring more clarity for the law enforcement agencies.
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