CHENNAI: In the wake of the murder of 26-year-old Dalit youth Kavin Selvaganesh in Tirunelveli district, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan has urged the State government to immediately enact a special legislation, specifically to curb honour killings.

The VCK leader highlighted the Indian Law Commission’s assertion on the need for a dedicated law to curb honour killings and said that it has also framed guidelines, which remain unimplemented. The State must act without delay to introduce specific legislation addressing honour killings, Thiruma said in a statement referring to the murder of the software engineer, a resident of Arumugamangalam in Thoothukudi.

Expressing shock over the recurring incidents of honour killings, particularly rampant in the southern districts, the VCK leader called for the establishment of a special intelligence unit to tackle such heinous crimes. “I have made this plea repeatedly,” he said.

Noting that the accused’s parents are police personnel, Thiruma demanded that the case be transferred to the CBI and called for the immediate arrest of Surjit’s parents, who allegedly orchestrated the killing. He further urged the government to dismiss them from service.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Tuesday said that the State government’s emphasis on existing laws to handle caste-based honour killings hasn’t yielded results, urging for a special law.