HC directs Udumalpet police to grant permission for public meet on Shankar’s death anniversary

His wife Kowsalya had approached the court stating that she had planned the meet to enlighten people about the need to create a casteless society through inter-caste marriages

The Madras High Court on Friday directed Udumalpet police in Tiruppur district to grant permission for a public meeting planned by S. Kowsalya, 25, on Sunday, the seventh death anniversary of her first husband Shankar who was hacked to death on a public road in broad daylight in 2016 for having performed an inter-caste marriage.

Justice G. Chandrasekharan quashed an order passed by the police department refusing permission for the event, due to the apprehension of law and order problem, and ordered that the meeting should be allowed since it was being organised with the “laudable object” of enlightening people about creating a casteless society.

“Reports of honour killings are continuing in the State. It is not as if it has been totally eradicated,” the judge said and granted liberty to the police to impose reasonable restrictions.

Advocate N.G.R. Prasad told the court the petitioner Kowsalya belonged to a Most Backward Community whereas her first husband Shankar was from a Scheduled Caste. He was killed in the guise of honour on March 13, 2016 and therefore, she had started Shankar Social Justice Trust during his second death anniversary.

The objective of the trust was to promote inter-caste marriage and demand enactment of a special law to protect such couples. It was towards this aim, she had approached the police seeking permission for conducting a public meeting near Kumaralingam bus stop in Udumalpet on Sunday but the police denied permission, the counsel claimed.

On the other hand, Government Advocate S. Santhosh told the court that the brother of Shankar had given a representation to the police stating his family had nothing to do with the event and that permission should not be granted to it. Similarly, his villagers too were against the event.

He said, the organisers could at least conduct the event indoors to avoid possible law and order situation. However, the judge replied that the message attempted to be conveyed by the trust might not reach a larger audience if the event was conducted indoors. He asked the police to provide necessary protection to avoid untoward incidents.