Madras HC Sets Aside State Govt’s Order Quashing Public Meeting To Be Held For Spreading Information Against Honour Killing
The Madras High Court has set aside the order passed by the State Government by which the public meeting organized by Sankar Social Justice Trust was to be held for spreading information against honour killing.
A Single Bench of Justice G. Chandrasekharan said, “… the scope of starting Sankar Social Justice Trust and for organizing present meeting is to disseminate information against honour killing and also to promote inter-caste marriage. It is a laudable object and we cannot prevent/prohibit the meeting to be organized by Sankar Social Justice Trust on 12.03.2023 at 5 P.M. at the venue nearby Kumaralingam Bus Stop, for the above said reasons.”
The Bench observed that the offence of honour killing takes place every now and then and is not as though there is no honour killing taking place in Tamil Nadu and is eradicated.
Advocate N.G.R. Prasad appeared for the petitioner while Government Advocate S. Santhosh appeared for the respondent.
Facts –
A writ petition was filed to call for records pertaining to the order passed by the State Government and to quash the same as illegal and consequently direct the State to grant permission to hold a public meeting. The petitioner was the founder of Sankar Social Justice Trust belonging to the most backward community and married a Scheduled Caste man, and on account of such an inter-caste marriage, caste fanatics assaulted her husband with deadly weapons at the instigation of her parents and killed him.
The petitioner started a trust for creating awareness of inter-caste marriage and for promoting the same in the society in order to achieve casteless society. Hence, she submitted a representation seeking permission to conduct the 7th memorial meeting in honour of her husband and promote inter-caste marriage. However, that representation was rejected by the State.
The High Court in the above context noted, “It is not in dispute that petitioner is a victim to honour killing, that her husband was murdered for the reason that he belongs to Scheduled Caste and petitioner belongs to Most Backward Caste.”
The Court, therefore, directed the respondent to give permission for conducting the said meeting by imposing necessary and appropriate conditions.
Accordingly, the Court set aside the order of the State.
Cause Title- Kowsalya v. The State
