Approval by SP rank official must on honour killing reports, says HC

The Allahabad High Court has ordered that in cases relating to honour killings, the investigating agency must not submit its final report before the trial court unless the same was approved by "an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police".

The order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Justice Amar Saran and Justice Pankaj Naqvi on Friday while acquitting seven persons, who had been awarded death sentence by a Badaun court last year in connection with an honor killing case of 2006.  The Bench, while allowing the appeals of the seven accused, held that the prosecution had failed to prove the case "beyond a reasonable doubt" but added as a parting note "the court would be failing in its duty if it does not pass an appropriate order to prevent the recurrence of the mischief which had taken place in the instant case".

"Going by our experience in the instant case, we are of the view that in a case pertaining to honour killing, the investigating agency should not submit a final report unless the same has an approval of an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police.

"This is with a view to prevent the mischief of submission of a motivated final report," the court said while asking the Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh "to pass appropriate directions in this regard, to be complied by the subordinate police officers, both in letter and spirit".  "Honour killing seems to be spreading its tentacles in certain sections of the society.

It connotes a certain mindset, that the chastity of the girl belongs to her family. This is a dangerous trend which is not only to be deprecated but a holistic effort is to be made by all sections of the society to eliminate it completely," the court remarked.

"The role of police is of considerable significance for conducting prompt, efficient and independent investigation so that the real perpetrators of the crime are brought to book," the court added.