‘Love leads to lethal violence in the name of honour’: Madras High Court denies bail to cop accused in honour killing case
Justice K Murali Shankar observed, when a boy and girl love each other and marry against family or societal wishes, it sometimes leads to lethal violence by family members or relatives in the name of “honour”.
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 4, 2025 02:04 PM IST
Aanchal’s conviction in disowning her family and her vow to now reside with Saksham’s family puts to shame anyone submitting to regressive social practices and family pressures. (This image is generated using AI.)
The Madras High Court has dismissed the bail plea of a police officer accused in a case of alleged honour killing of a man, terming the issue of honour killing as a “serious challenge” to law and justice.
“Honour killing continues to plague Indian society despite constitutional guarantees of personal liberty and freedom of marriage. When a boy and girl love each other and marry against family or societal wishes, it sometimes leads to lethal violence by family members or relatives in the name of ‘honour’,” said Justice K Murali Shankar on December 3.
Dismissing the bail plea, the court highlighted the continuity of honour killing in society and said, “The mere filing of a chargesheet and taking cognisance of the case are not sufficient grounds for granting bail to the accused in such a brutal murder case.”
The victim was killed in July 2025 belonged to the Hindu Devendra Kula Vellalar community and was working in a multinational company. The victim and the accused’s daughter were school friends who fell in love subsequently.
The accused, who is the woman’s father and belongs to the Hindu Maravar community, was serving in the Tamil Nadu Police force as a sub-inspector. He had previously approached the session court for bail but it was denied.
He challenged the bail dismissal order in the high court, which rejected the plea, considering the gravity of the charges levelled and the role played by him in the victim’s death and said the appeal was without merit.
Advocate B Mohan, representing the complainant, argued that police had not made any investigation with respect to the conspiracy angle. He further argued that the investigation was neither proper nor in accordance with the law, and was intended to save father and the other accused.
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Government counsel B Thanga Aravindh said it was a “clear case of honour killing” and argued that if the father was released on bail, he would threaten the witnesses and tamper with the evidence.
Senior advocate N Anantha Padmanabhan, representing the accused, argued that he was innocent and he had no clue about her daughter’s meeting with the victim and his family members. He further submitted that his client was on duty as a special sub-inspector and was not aware of the incident until it appeared on TV.
Note: The headline of the story was subsequently corrected from Kerala High Court to Madras High Court.
Richa Sahay is a Legal Correspondent for The Indian Express, where she focuses on simplifying the complexities of the Indian judicial system. A law postgraduate, she leverages her advanced legal education to bridge the gap between technical court rulings and public understanding, ensuring that readers stay informed about the rapidly evolving legal landscape.
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