Inter-religious, inter-caste married couple to get protection from the state

Mumbai: To prevent crimes such as honour killing and protect couples entering inter-caste or inter-religious marriages; a special committee will be created under the leadership of the Police Superintendent. The couples will also be provided with safe homes. The Home Ministry is taking these steps according to orders of the Supreme Court. 

The country has been witnessing the problem of honour killing for a long time, with the instances in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in 2009 being especially gruesome. Honours killings are a direct violation of fundamental rights such as the right to life, and freedom of expression as provided by the Indian Constitution.

An organisation named Shakti Vahini had filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2010 to demand Union and State Governments draw a plan of action to deal with such crimes. The SC had ordered the setting up of a special committee under the police superintendent to protect inter-caste and inter-religious couples. They will include a state social welfare officer as a member, and a state women and children welfare officer as secretary. This committee will take cognizance of complaints filed in the context of inter-religious and inter-caste marriages and take immediate action, state of the Home Ministry's guidelines. A committee will constituted under the Deputy Commissioner to conduct a tri-monthly evaluation of action taken by the committee and implementation of the court order. This committee will also be responsible for making safe houses available for the inter-caste, inter-religious couples.