India

Supreme Court: Khap Panchayat’s interference in marriage of adults who can consent is illegal

Supreme Court: Khap Panchayat’s interference in marriage of adults who can consent is illegal

Khap Panchayat, or any other group that tries to interfere between the marriage of adults who can consent will now be considered illegal. A three-judge bench, which was  headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, has also decided upon certain guidelines that will be implemented, until the government is able to pass a law pertaining to the issue. The centre has stated that a law will be made to stop the incidents of honor killings. NGO Shakti Vahini had put forth a petition in the court against the Khap Panchayat’s in 2010, which involved that laws be made that stop murder of couples for the sake of honor of the family members of the village.

The counsel of Khap Panchayat said that they encourage inter-caste and inter-faith marriages, but their objections relate to the marriage in close Hindu relations. According to the counsel, they were keepers of faith and acted on their duties to protect it.

The Supreme court has already stated that threatening, and killing people in the name of “faith”, is illegal, and the Khap Panchayat can’t interfere between the union of two consenting adults in any manner. There have been many instance over the years, where the independent bodies like Khap Panchayat’s have been responsible for  violence against couples who want to marry, but their relation is opposed based on the faith of their community.

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Abhishek Rana

Since my early childhood, I’ve loved writing, watching movies and having an opinion. Now, I do it professionally. Always looking for new ways to challenge myself.

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