The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the state government to file its reply on an intervention application that is seeking compensation and police protection for the family members of victims in honour killing incidents. The application further states that a direction must be given to the state government to come out with a policy to curb such attacks in future.
Advocate Advait Sethan said in his intervention application that honour killing incidents are increasing in India so protection and compensation to the victim’s family must be given by the state government. Mr Sethan requested the court to direct the state government to frame a policy to curb these kinds of attacks in the future.
The application further stated that counselling sessions and medical help should be provided to girls whose lives are spared during honour killing incidents. The application claimed that girls were “equal victims” to the crime and had to cope with sudden and unexpected mental agony and trauma.
The application also sought the Central government to make amendments in the Indian Penal Code and create a separate section in the IPC to deal with such serious issue.
A division bench of Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice M.S. Sonak was hearing a PIL filed by activist Yashvant Shenoy, who is seeking action against Navi Mumbai police officers for failing to take timely action, due to which he said a teenager boy was murdered by his girlfriend’s family members.
Swapnil Sonawane, a 15-year-old dalit boy from Navi Mumbai, was allegedly killed on July 20 by his girlfriend’s family, belonging to the OBC community.
Mr Shenoy said that Swapnil’s mother Gauri had gone to the Nerul police station on July 18 and 19 along with her son to register the case but police officers did not pay heed to their complaint. Mr Shenoy sought a direction to the DGP of Maharashtra to take disciplinary action against those officers concerned.
