A public petition signed by over 200 citizens from across the country has been submitted to the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, demanding that police officers at the Bahadausa Police Station in Banda district be charged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for their alleged complicity in a recent honour killing.
The case pertains to the brutal stabbing of a young woman by her father inside the police station premises, after she and her partner, both adults, were recovered by the police for entering into an inter-caste marriage. A copy of the petition has been forwarded to the Chief Justice of India.
The petition sharply criticizes the police’s role in the incident, stating that their actions were "in complete contravention of law" and contrary to the 2018 Supreme Court judgment in Shantivahini versus Union of India, which mandates state protection for couples in inter-caste marriages and the establishment of safe houses for them.
"The police had recovered the couple, both adults, and were trying to persuade the girl to go back," the petition notes, pointing to the authorities' failure to uphold their legal duty.
Furthermore, the petition highlights the systemic failure in such cases, observing that "in most such cases police recovers the girl and hands her over to the parents even though the couple have married of their own free will."
It explicitly calls for the names of the police officials involved to be included in the charge sheet, citing their facilitation of the crime.
Beyond state action, the petition also urges the Supreme Court to establish a standardized protocol to be followed in all such cases, in order to prevent future tragedies and ensure the safety of individuals exercising their right to choose their partners.
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