Slain Dalit man's wife vows to fight till all including her

Kausalya, whose father was among the six given death sentence by a court today for suspected honour killing of her Dalit husband, said she would fight till her mother and two other acquitted were also punished.
The young widow hailed the verdict that meted out capital punishment to most of the accused, saying it would act as a deterrent against honour killings nation-wide.
"I will appeal in the high court against the acquittal of Annalakshmi (her mother), Pandithurai (paternal uncle) and Prasanakumar. My legal battle will continue till they too are appropriately punished," she told reporters here.
She, however, did not refer to their relationship with her.

Kausalya was interacting with media shortly after Tirupur Principal District and Sessions Judge Alamelu Natarajan gave the judgement in the case related to the brutal murder of her husband Shankar on March 13, 2016 in nearby Udumalpet.
Kausalya, who survived the attack, described the judgement as a "warning bell and deterrent" to caste chauvinists who indulged in honour killings.

"Justice is rendered for the blood, shed by Shankar and the verdict has re-established my trust in the judiciary," she said.
The woman also said she would oppose if any of the convicts filed an appeal in the high court against their sentence.

Seeking protection to her and the family of her husband, Kausalya demanded a legislation to prevent recurrence of such "honour killings and instil fear among those trying to oppose inter-caste marriages.