Punjab: Another couple fall prey to honour killing

Amritsar, Mar 31: On the very same day a Haryana Court handed out death sentence to five people involved in honour killing, yet another suspected case of honour killing emerged in Punjab where a newly wed couple were shot dead.

The incident took place in Patti village near the India-Pakistan border on Tuesday, Mar 31. As per media reports, a group of unidentified assailants gunned down Sandeep and Prabhjot in full public view.

The couple were residents of Firozpur, which is located about 200 kms from the village they were killed in. The couple who married against their parents wishes were also under police protection.

Prabjot accompanied by her husband went to Patt to write her Class 12 board exams.

It is suspected that the girl's parents ordered the killing of the young couple.

"This incident should not have happened. It's sad. But the individual's behaviour was not correct. He had left his first wife and has a child. He married his wife's niece.

"It is a case of personal enmity. A number of cases were registered against him. The girl is from the same family. We will round up those involved soon," Sukhdev Singh Brar, SSP, Firozpur is quoted as saying in news reports.

This comes even as the Centre moots an amendment in the laws including Indian Penal code to deal with such cases.

In a written statement, Minister of state for Home Mullappally Ramachandran told Rajya Sabha, "A proposal to amend the laws including Indian Penal code, 1860 to take care of situation arising out of honour killings is under consideration of the government.

"As the amendment of law involves various stages of consideration and wide consultation with state government and stakeholders, no definite time-frame can be indicated to effect the amendment."

On the same day, a Haryana court cracked a whip against Taliban-like justice meted out in Panchayats by awarding death to five people involved in the killing of a couple in 2007.

OneIndia News