SC lays down guidelines to combat honour killings, khap interference

Terming as "agonising" the effect that honour killings have on society, the Supreme Court today laid down preventive, remedial and punitive measures, including discouraging any illegal assemblies of khap panchayats and providing security to couples and their families, to deal with the issue till a law is framed on it.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said that the Constitution and the laws "do not countenance" such acts by the khap panchayats, stressing that remedial steps would include lodging of an FIR, investigation of the crime with promptitude, as well as booking all participants of the illegal assembly, without any exception.

In its verdict, the bench also laid down the punitive steps which include departmental action against officials and police officers who do not comply with the guidelines and turn a blind eye to such incidents, creation of special cells in every district to deal with complaints of couples under threat and setting up fast track courts to hear such matters.

The top court said trial in the fast track courts "must proceed on day to day basis to be concluded preferably within six months."