Rohtak court verdict describes madness of honour killing

While holding the accused guilty in an honour killing case, a court in Haryana's Rohtak district has attempted to explain the reasons behind the phenomena in a strongly worded 40-page verdict.

"Violence is seen as a way of ensuring compliance and preventing rebellion" in the local society, observed Rohtak additional sessions judge Narinder Kaur, while holding the accused guilty in the infamous Garnawati double murder case.

The victims, a couple identified as 22-year-old Dharmender Barak and 18-year-old Nidhi Barak, were brutally murdered in September 2013 by the girl's father for having an affair in the same gotra and same village.

The accused, Narender and Ravinder, were caught red handed by police while they were cremating Nidhi's body. They had also dumped Dharmender's body outside his house. There were over 20 stab wounds on the body.

On August 10, the judge had awarded life term to Nidhi's parents and brother, and slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 each on Narender, his wife Rita and son Sunny. Three other accused - village sarpanch Rajesh Kumar, Narender's brother Ravinder and driver Mahesh Kumar - were acquitted by the court. The accused were also found guilty of destroying evidence.

Why do honour killings happen?

"In these traditional male dominated societies women are dependent first on their father and then on their husband, whom they are expected to obey. Women are viewed as property and not as individuals with their own agency. As such, they must submit to male authority figures in the family. Failure to do so can result in extreme violence as punishment," observed Rohtak additional sessions judge Narinder Kaur.

The judge was also taken aback by the response of the witnesses examined by the prosecution. It was highlighted that their reluctance in testifying against the accused was either out of fear of getting ostracised, or, they being from the same community did not prefer to go against the accused. The judge reckoned that they might be having the same views about the honour of their families and community.

The judge also ascribed this to be the reason of alarming frequency of these incidents. The punishment met out in this form of vigilantism is considered to be reforming the society, however they fail to understand that this is not the solution, the judge added.

"Where honour is of central value, men are sources, or active generators agents of that honour, while the only effect that women can have on honour is to destroy it. Once the family's or clan's honour is considered to have been destroyed by a woman, there is a need for immediate revenge to restore it, in order for the family to avoid losing face in the community," the judge observed.

The judge's verdict, however, is not the only explanation on the phenomena of honour killings in India. A documentary film titled 'The Immoral Daughters in the Land of Honour' directed by Nakul Singh Sawhney also deals with the honour killing of Manoj-Babli at Haryana's Kaithal district in 2007.