Madras High Court reserves orders on plea for CBI probe in Pallikaranai honour killing case

Madras High Court reserves judgment on plea for CBI probe into alleged honour killing of G. Praveen in Chennai.

The Madras High Court on Monday reserved its judgment on a plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged honour killing of Scheduled Caste youth G. Praveen at Pallikaranai in Chennai on February 24, 2024 pursuant to his marriage with a woman belonging to a Most Backward Class community.

Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan deferred his verdict after hearing arguments advanced by advocate B. Mohan for V. Gopi 55, the father of the deceased youth, and Government advocate P. Vinothraj for the prosecution led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police of Selaiyur Range under Tambaram Police Commissionerate.

The petitioner’s counsel told the court that it was a clear case of honour killing committed by the woman’s brother D. Dinesh and his friends but the police were trying to project as if it was a retaliation murder committed by the friends of Dinesh since they had a previous enmity with the deceased youth.

Mr. Mohan said the youngster’s wife Sharmila had given a statement before the Alandur Judicial Magistrate on April 8, 2024 accusing her parents and brother of issuing death threats since 2023. The statement had specifically implicated her brother to have been directly involved in the murder.

He also brought it to the notice of the court that Sharmila committed suicide after the recording of the statement and attributed her death to the harassment meted out by her family members. He said she had sought justice for her husband’s death even in her dying declaration.

The counsel urged the High Court to quash the chargesheet filed by the Selaiyur range Assistant Commissioner of Police before the Chengalpattu Principal District and Sessions Court on May 18, 2024 and consequently order a de novo investigation into the honour killing by the CBI.