Karnal, March 30: In a historic judgment, a Session Court in Karnal on Tuesday sentenced five members of Khap Panchayat to death for the ‘honour killing’ of a couple who married despite opposition from the community.
Manoj and Babli were kidnapped and brutally murdered, by family members of Babli, in June 2007 for going against the wishes of the all powerful caste council Khap Panchayat.
The Panchayat was against their marriage as Manoj and Babli were from the same sub-caste, hence siblings as per the beliefs.
Those who have been sentenced to death are Babli’s brother Suresh, her uncles, Rajender and Baru Ram, her cousins, Gurdev and Satish. Village strongman Ganga Raj has also been convicted for the crime and has been given a life sentence for kidnapping and criminal conspiracy.
Delivering the judgment, the court accepted the prosecution’s plea to consider the case as rarest of rare and hence is fit for a death punishment.
Happy at the verdict, prosecution lawyer Lal Bahadur said, “It is a message to all Khap Panchayat’s.”
The court has also asked the government to provide a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the family of Manoj as he was the only earning member of the family.
Manoj’s sister Seema said, “We fought all alone. We were intimated, offered money but we didn’t bow done. The verdict should send a strong message to the Khap Panchayat.”
-Agencies