Activist Kausalya has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take all-out efforts to ensure that the appeal preferred in the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court judgment in the Udumalpet honour killing case is listed for further hearing early.
Madurai: Anti-caste activist and caste killing survivor, S Gowsalya, on Wednesday, urged the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to ensure early listing of the appeals for further hearing before the Supreme Court in connection with the 2016 Udumalpet caste killing case, since the appeals are pending at the same stage for nearly three years.
V Shankar, a scheduled caste (SC) youth, was murdered by a gang at Udumalpet in Tirupur district in 2016 after he got married to Gowsalya from the Thevar caste, which was objected to by the woman’s family.
Later, in 2017, the principal district and sessions court in Tirupur awarded death sentence to the prime accused, B Chinnasamy, Gowsalya’s father and five others while two others were sentenced to imprisonment for different jail terms. However, in 2020, the Madras high court acquitted Chinnasamy.
“The Tamil Nadu government had preferred an appeal against the Madras high court verdict before the Supreme Court while Shankar’s younger brother, V Vigneshwaran, and I also filed appeals before the Supreme Court.
Though it has been three years since the appeal was admitted in 2020, it is yet to be taken up for further hearing. Steps must be taken to ensure to list appeals for further hearing early,” said Gowsalya.
She was speaking to reporters in Madurai at a press meet organised by Evidence, a dalit rights NGO.
It was further pointed out that in the past 20 years, in only six cases, the court verdict has been in favour of the victims. “In some of the cases, the accused are also acquitted or have their sentences reduced when they go for appeals,” said the activist.
Gowsalya, along with A Kathir, executive director of Evidence, also reiterated the need for a strong separate law against honour killing. They also pointed out that in a 2018 case of Shakti Vahini, an NGO, the Supreme Court directed the state governments to follow guidelines to prevent caste killings in their respective states till a statutory framework is put in place but even that is not being followed.
Pointing out that the appeal preferred in the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court judgment in the Udumalpet honour killing case was pending for nearly three years, activist Kausalya has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take efforts to ensure the appeal was listed for further hearing early.
Addressing a press conference organised by Evidence, an NGO fighting for the cause of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in Madurai on Wednesday, Ms. Kausalya said that Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, when he was in the opposition in 2020, offered support to her. She urged the State government to take necessary steps in this regard.
In 2016, V. Shankar, a Scheduled Caste youth, and Kausalya, a Caste Hindu, were attacked by a gang with lethal weapons in Udumalpet in Tiruppur district after they got married against the wishes of Kausalya’s family. While Shankar died on the spot, Kausalya sustained serious injuries in the attack.
In 2017, the Principal District and Sessions Court in Tiruppur awarded death sentences to six persons, including B. Chinnasamy, father of Kausalya, and different jail terms to the other accused. In 2020, the Madras High Court acquitted the prime accused, Chinnasamy, and commuted the death sentences of five others to life sentences.
The Tamil Nadu government preferred an appeal in the Supreme Court against the judgment the same year. Ms. Kausalya said that the Supreme Court had admitted the criminal appeal in 2020 and the appeal was still pending at the same stage and not even taken up for further hearing.
Mr. Kathir, executive director of Evidence, urged the State government to give more attention to the case. The State was not taking efforts to get the matter listed for further hearing, he said. He wondered if this was due to vote bank politics. The urgency shown in other matters was not being shown in this case, he said.
Answering a query on the need for a law against honour killings, he said that in Tamil Nadu honour killings were on the rise and despite several drafts being prepared in this regard, unfortunately no law has been enacted so far. He pointed out that the district level special cells to protect inter caste couples were not even functioning.
Kausalya, survivor of the Udumalpet honour killing, during an interaction with The Hindu in Madurai on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: R. Ashok
Activist Kausalya has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take all-out efforts to ensure that the appeal preferred in the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court judgment in the Udumalpet honour killing case is listed for further hearing early.
Ms. Kausalya said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, when he was in the opposition in 2020, offered support to her and assured her that justice would be rendered. She urged the State government to take necessary steps in this regard.
In 2016, V. Shankar, a Scheduled Caste youth, and Kausalya, a Caste Hindu, were attacked by a gang with lethal weapons in Udumalpet in Tiruppur district after they got married against the wishes of Kausalya’s family.
Shankar succumbed to injuries. A year later, the Principal District and Sessions Court in Tiruppur awarded death sentence to six persons, including B. Chinnasamy, the father of Kausalya, and different jail terms to two other accused.
In 2020, the Madras High Court acquitted the prime accused, Chinnasamy, and commuted the death sentence of five others to life sentence. The Tamil Nadu government preferred an appeal in the Supreme Court against the judgment the same year.
Ms. Kausalya said it was nearly three years since the Supreme Court admitted the criminal appeal preferred by the State, but the appeal was not taken up for further hearing.
Mr. Kathir, executive director of Evidence, a non-governmental organisation fighting for the cause of Dalits, said the State government had to give more attention to the case, which had been pending in the same stage for nearly three years. The government had not taken strong efforts to get the matter listed for further hearing. The seriousness of the case should be considered. Otherwise, it could encourage the offenders, he added.
In a letter sent to the Chief Minister, Ms. Kausalya narrated the horrific incident leading to the death of Shankar and the case before the trial court and the Madras High Court. She urged the Chief Minister to extend support. The government should show special attention and urgency in the case, she said.