In a shocking case of honour killing, a father and uncle in Maharashtra have been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a 17-year-old girl over a land dispute related to her planned marriage, highlighting the persistence of such barbaric crimes in India.
Key Points
- A father and uncle in Jalna, Maharashtra, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the honour killing of a 17-year-old girl.
- The murder stemmed from a dispute over transferring land to the girl as a condition of her marriage.
- The court cited the Supreme Court's view that honour killings are 'rarest of rare' crimes deserving the harshest punishment.
- The accused confessed to killing the girl and cremating her body to conceal the crime.
- The court considered the lack of prior criminal records and the accused's initial attempts to dissuade the girl before handing down the life sentence.
A court in Jalna district of Maharashtra has sentenced a man and his brother to life imprisonment for murdering the former's 17-year-old daughter in 2022 over an issue linked to her proposed marriage.
The girl's would-be in-laws wanted her parents to transfer some land in her name to go ahead with the marriage of their son with her as both of them were in love. The girl's family, however, opposed the idea of giving the land. But as she insisted on tying the knot with her lover, the convicts killed her and cremated her body in a bid to conceal the crime, the prosecution said.
Principal District and Sessions Court judge Varsha Mohite on Friday sentenced Santosh Sarode (45) and Namdev Sarode (40), both residents of Bhatkheda in Jalna tehsil, to life imprisonment
Additional government pleader S R Dhokrat said the incident took place on December 13, 2022, in Pirpimpalgaon area under Chandan Zira police station limits.
As per the information, Sarode killed his minor daughter and secretly performed her last rites in his field to destroy evidence. During questioning, Sarode and his brother confessed to killing her.
Details of the Honour Killing and Land Dispute
During the investigation, the police found that the girl had initially eloped with her lover, which her family believed brought dishonour to them. Later, as both families belonged to the same caste, they agreed to solemnise the marriage. However, a dispute arose during the ceremony over a demand to transfer 1.5 acres of land in the girl's name, leading to the wedding being called off.
The girl insisted on going ahead with the marriage, which angered the accused. They brought her home on a motorcycle, assaulted her and later hanged her to death from a tree. They subsequently cremated the body in their field to conceal the crime.
Police recovered ash, burnt bones, teeth, and other remains from the spot along with her clothes and the motorcycle used in the crime. A case was registered under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
During the trial, the prosecution examined 13 witnesses and their testimonies proved crucial.
Court's Judgement and Rationale
In the judgement, the court cited the Supreme Court's observation that honour killings fall within the "rarest of rare" category deserving the harshest punishment, calling such acts barbaric and a blot on society.
The court noted that the accused were the sole earning members of their families, and had no prior criminal antecedents, and also observed that they had initially tried to dissuade the girl from the relationship.
Considering the circumstances, the court held that it could not be conclusively said that they would reoffend or pose a continuing threat to society, and therefore awarded life imprisonment.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each, with an additional two years of simple imprisonment in case of default.
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