Question : MEASURES TO CHECK HONOUR KILLINGS

(a) whether instances of the newly wedded couples, who have suffered honour killings continues despite Supreme Court directives and advisories from the Union Government in this regard;

(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the number of such killings reported during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;

(c) whether the Union Government has taken any additional steps to provide protection to the young couples facing threat of honour killings and to prevent the same;

(d) whether the Government has any proposal to invoke criminal liability on the part of persons instigating and encouraging such crimes including village bodies, religious sects and extremist elements; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI AJAY MAKEN)

(a) & (b): Many instances of alleged honour killings have been reported. As honour killing is not classified as a separate crime and it is treated as murder, information in this regard is not maintained separately by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

(c) to (e): As per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India “Police” and “Public Order” are State subjects and, as such, the primary responsibility of prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of crime including the crime of honour killing, lies with the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations. However, Government of India is deeply concerned with the crime of honour killing and other forms of violence. Ministry of Home Affairs has sent a detailed advisory dated 4th September, 2009 to all wherein States/UTs have been advised, inter alia, to make comprehensive review of the effectiveness of the law enforcement machinery in tackling the problem of violence against women, and to take appropriate measures to curb the violation of women’s rights by so called ‘Honour Killings’. Government is also actively considering a proposal to amend the existing law or to enact a separate law in order to tackle the crime of honour killings. A Group of Ministers has been constituted to consider a draft Bill on the subject.