The Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has asked the Supreme Court to create a new law specifically to deal with caste-based honour killings. They say the current laws are not enough to stop these crimes from happening.
A petition was filed by Aadhav Arjuna, the general secretary of TVK for elections, several months after the murder of 27-year-old Dalit software engineer Kavin Selvaganesh. On July 27, Kavin was killed in a hacking incident outside a hospital in Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli. It is believed that Surjith, who is the brother of the woman Kavin was dating, was responsible for the attack.
She belonged to the dominant Thevar community. Surjith's parents, who are both sub-inspectors in the state police, were mentioned in the FIR and were then suspended. His father, Saravanan, was also arrested. Other groups, like the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the CPI, and CPI(M), also asked the state government to create special laws.
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Activists say Kavin’s case is not isolated. A group called Evidence, which fights for the rights of Dalits, has recorded at least 80 cases of honor killings based on caste in the state since 2015. However, very few people involved in these crimes have been convicted.
Campaigners say that having a specific law would help collect accurate information, speed up court cases, protect witnesses, and treat honour crimes as a separate type of violence.
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