New Delhi, Apr. 20 (ANI): Khaps in most parts of India have defiantly said they will not accept the Supreme Court to stop their actitvities, saying that traditions coming down through the generations cannot be wished away, discarded or disregarded.
It maybe recalled that the apex court had on Tuesday warned district magistrates and superintendents of police that they would be held directly responsible for the administration's failure to stop khap panchayats from acting like kangaroo courts, which order killings of couples marrying within the same gotra and outside their castes.
Holding that there was nothing honourable about "honour killings", a two-judge apex court bench comprising of Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Mishra said district magistrates, superintendents of police and other officials should be placed under suspension, chargesheeted and proceeded departmentally if they were found to have had prior knowledge but failed to stop khaps from inflicting atrocities on couples who defied the retrograde rules governing marriages.
The Bench said the officials would be similarly proceeded against if they failed to promptly apprehend the culprits and institute criminal charges against khap members after they harmed or killed hapless couples.
The apex court passed the order after hearing a case from Tamil Nadu relating to an offence under the Scheduled Caste Prevention of Atrocities Act.
The court went into the illegalities committed by caste panchayats, known in the north India as khap panchayats and in Tamil Nadu as katta panchayats.
The court said that the only way to stamp out such acts of barbarism and feudal mentality was to inflict similar harsh punishment on members of caste panchayats.
Copies of the judgment have been sent to all state chief secretaries, district magistrates and superintendents of police. (ANI)
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