Udumalpet honour killing: Tirupur court sentences six to death

TIRUPUR: In a strongest ever verdict against honour killing in the country, a Tamil Nadu court on Tuesday sentenced six people to death for the 2015 murder of a dalit youth, V Sankar. The 22-year-old dalit youth was murdered by a gang on March 13, 2016 for marrying a non-dalit girl, Kausalya.The Tirupur district and sessions court’ verdict split the rights activists, with those against honour killing supporting the judgment and those opposed to death penalty as a principle denouncing it. Of the 11 people, including father of the non-dalit girl, and six others were sentenced to death. Three others, including her mother Annalakshmi, were acquitted of all charges while two others got lesser sentences. The court ordered a total compensation ordered Rs 11.95 lakh to the girl and Shankar's family.Accused and punishmentA1: Kausalya's father Chinnasamy --- DeathA2: Kausalya's mother Annalakshmi --- Not guiltyA3: Kausalya's maternal uncle Pandi Thurai --- Not GuiltyA4: Jegadeesan --- DeathA5: Manikandan --- DeathA6: Selvakumar --- DeathA7: Kalai Tamilvaanan --- DeathA8: Madan alias Michael --- DeathA9: Stephen Dhanraj --- Double life termA10: Kausalya's 16-year-old relative --- Not GuiltyA11: Manikandan --- 5 years rigorous imprisonmentTension on court premisesMoments after the judge read out the verdict details, tension gripped the court campus, indicating that the impact it would have on different communities in days to come. There were scuffle involving relatives of the accused and supporters of the victims’ kin on court campus. Inter-caste marriage Sankar, who was a native of Kumaralingam near Udumalpet, fell in love with the non-dalit girl, Kausalya, while they were studying in a private engineering college in Pollachi. They got married against the wishes of her parents. A few months later, a three-member gang hacked Sankar to death. Kausalya suffered injuries in the attack.