8 get death, 27 life term for honour killing
Thu Nov 17 2011, 00:13 hrs
A Mathura court on Wednesday sentenced eight persons to death and 27 others to life imprisonment for killing a young couple who had eloped from Mehrana village in 1991. The slain youth’s cousin was also killed for helping them.
Pronouncing the sentence, Additional District and Session Judge AK Upadhyay slapped penalties of Rs 25,000 on each of the 35 convicts. He had convicted them on November 14.
Roshini (19), from the dominant Jat community, and Vijendra (22), from the Scheduled Caste Jatav community, had eloped on March 21, 1991 but returned to the village after three days for the last rites of a woman.
On March 26, a panchayat was convened where the couple and Vijendra’s cousin Ram Krishna, who had gone with them, were brought from their homes.
Roshini admitted eloping with Vijendra on her own and requested that she be allowed to live with him. The panchayat rejected the request.
All three were beaten mercilessly, hanged from a tree one after another, dragged to the cremation ground and set on fire.
The next day, the police went to the village and lodged an FIR on a complaint from Vijendra’s uncle Ami Chand. He blamed panchayat members and the girl’s family for the crime.
After investigation, the police chargesheeted 55 persons for murder and offences under the Prevention of Atrocities on SCs/STs Act. Three of the accused were declared juvenile and their case was transferred to the juvenile court.
Fifteen others died during the trial, while one, identified as Amar Singh, is absconding. One accused, Balkishan, was acquitted.
