Honour Killing in India

An honor killing, or honour killing is the homicide of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief of the perpetrators that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community. Honor killings are directed mostly against women and girls, but have been extended to men.(wikipedia)
Stringent Indian laws on honor killings fail to curb the increasing trend. Interestingly, honor killings happen, irrespective of a person’s religion or social status. Every year over 5, 000 brides are killed for dowry in India. In 2007, approximately 655 cases were registered as honor killings. Imagine what the unofficial statistics must be really like. The worst affected region in India is Muzaffarnagar (U.P), with 25 percent of honor killing in official police reports.Indian laws do not treat honor killings in a specific or separte clause.

Indian Laws on Honor Killings: Community Mentality and Bifurcations

Typically, the police investigate honor killings but we still live in a society where we have learned to segregate people on the basis of social status, economic standards, religion and caste. The community mentality tends to be basic - an individual is identified by his caste and status rather than by anything else. Sometimes religious outfits and caste-based social units also encourage bifurcations based on caste and religion. The extent of orthodoxy in the Indian society is still a paradox because of the considerable chasm between the beliefs of those who prefer to live the life of the traditional society and those who embrace modern views with a vision to create a changed order.

Indian Laws on Honor Killing: A Severe Criminal Offence

Indian laws pertaining to honor killings are covered under the Indian Penal Code. Clearly, the IPC considers honor killings as a heinous crime. Unfortunately, honor killing is not classified as a separate crime in India. However, the government of India is set to add new section to the criminal law to define honor killing as a separate crime.

The proposal has already been approved by the Home Ministry and the Law Ministry. The government is likely to pass a bill in Parliament in the next budget session.

The punishment for honor killing carries the same punishment as that of murder. The punishment could range from life term to death sentence. 

Even,Muslim women have been the unfair victims of many brutal cultural practices. Honor killings are seen as the most gruesome of these. Islam has clear laws regulating sexual conduct and killing a girl in such a manner is against the fundamental principles of Islam.