Maharashtra Honour Killing: Court gives life term to girl’s Father, Uncle

A court in Jalna district has sentenced a man and his brother to life imprisonment for the murder of the former’s 17-year-old daughter in 2022, in a case described as an “honour killing” linked to a dispute over her marriage.

Pronouncing the verdict on Friday, Principal District and Sessions Judge Varsha Mohite convicted Santosh Sarode (45) and his brother Namdev Sarode (40), residents of Bhatkheda village, under provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The court also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 each , with an additional two-year simple imprisonment in case of default.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on December 13, 2022 , in the Pirpimpalgaon area. The victim, a minor, was in a relationship and wanted to marry her partner. Though both families initially agreed, the alliance fell through after the boy’s family demanded transfer of 1.5 acres of land in the girl’s name.

When the teenager insisted on going ahead with the marriage , the accused allegedly brought her home, assaulted her , and later hanged her to death . In an attempt to destroy evidence , they cremated her body in their field.

Police later recovered ash, burnt bones, teeth, and belongings from the spot. A case was registered under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC, and 13 witnesses were examined during the trial.

In its judgment, the court cited observations of the Supreme Court of India, which has termed honour killings as falling within the “rarest of rare” category , calling them barbaric acts and a blot on society .

However, the court noted that the accused had no prior criminal record , were sole earning members , and had initially tried to dissuade the girl from the relationship. It held that it could not be conclusively established that they posed a continuing threat, and therefore awarded life imprisonment instead of the death penalty .

Honour killings remain a persistent concern in India. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau shows 25 cases in 2019 , 25 in 2020 , and 33 in 2021 , though experts believe the actual figures may be higher due to underreporting .

Such crimes are often driven by opposition to marriages of choice , especially across caste or community lines, highlighting deep-rooted social prejudices.