Tamil Nadu 'honour killing' justice served, 18-years wait ends!

On Friday, an 18-year-old case was finally resolved by a special court in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district. A man was condemned to death in a 2003 'honour killing' case, while 12 others, including two police officers, were sentenced to life in jail. In May 2003, D Kannagi, a 22-year-old from a dominating caste, married S Murugesan, a 25-year-old from a different caste.

 Fearing repercussions from their individual families and society, the couple chose to live apart. The couple was misled into visiting the woman's relatives a month after their wedding, and it was from there that the tragedy began. They came home, hoping the family would forgive them. The woman's family, on the other hand, had different ideas. According to reports, the couple was tortured in front of the locals before



being poisoned via their nostrils and ears, resulting in their death at Kuppanatham, some 230 kilometres from Chennai.

D Kannagi's father, by the way, was the village chief at the time of the occurrence. They covered up the event and did not submit a police report in response to S Murugesan's family's complaint. The case was moved to the CBI in 2004 after a public uproar. During the inquiry, 15 persons were charged, and 81 people were named as witnesses, with at least 36 of them becoming hostile.

The woman's brother, Marudhupandian, was sentenced to death by the court hearing the case on Friday. Twelve others were given life sentences, including her father Duraiswami, then-Inspector Chellamuthu, who is now retired, and Sub Inspector Tamilmaran, who is now an Inspector.