New Delhi sources have stated that as ‘honor’ killings continue to rock North India, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra warned khap panchayats on Monday “not to be conscience keepers” and said nobody should interfere if two adults want to get married. Earlier the CJI was hearing a plea to ban family killings over ‘honor’, filed by NGO (non-government organization) Shakti Vahini.
Meanwhile the CJI said "Whether it is parents, society or anyone, they are out of it. No one, either individual or collective, or group, has the right to interfere with the marriage." Further a lawyer, representing khap panchayats, told the apex court they are against such killings. He also said they never oppose inter-caste or inter-religious marriages.
Moreover the Supreme Court was speaking on the petition filed by Shakti
Vahini, which has asked for a ban on such crimes and on khap panchayats or
self-appointed village courts in parts of north India, especially Haryana,
which believe it is their duty to protect medieval era traditions and act like
a law unto themselves while "punishing" couples who marry against
their families' wishes.
