Delhi court slams city govt for not forming policy on honour

A Delhi court has slammed the city government for not forming a policy to prevent honour killing or to ensure rehabilitation and safety of its survivors, while directing it to give necessary help to a 19-year-old girl, whose husband was killed by her brother.
Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said that till the time Delhi Government comes out with a policy, the Principal Secretary (Social Welfare) and Director of Women and Child Development shall provide professional psychiatric counselling to the victim and assist her to continue with her studies and vocational training.
"Unfortunately in Delhi there is no definite state policy to deal with such cases where honour killing can be prevented or to deal with the victims/survivors of honour killings.

"The Government of NCT of Delhi is yet to formulate a definite plan for providing any kind of help to these destitute victims who are survivors of honour killings similar to the one being undertaken by the Governments of Punjab and Haryana pursuant to the directions of the apex court and the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court leaving the courts of Delhi in a helpless situation to deal with the situation of their own," the court said.
It observed that an effective scheme for restorative and compensatory justice for such victims was not in place.
"Apart from the fact that the issue regarding making honour killing a specific and separate offence in law is something which requires an informed debate, urgent measures are necessitated at the level of administration which includes setting-up of women shelters and protection homes for couples who face the wrath of their families, community and society where their security can be ensured.

"However, most unfortunately the GNCT of Delhi is yet to wake-up to the same," the court said.
The court was dealing with a case of honour killing in which a girl had married in July last year to a boy, who was her relative, against the wishes of her family after which her brother attacked her and her husband.
The girl had sustained serious knife injuries while her husband succumbed to his injuries.