VCK MP D Ravikumar appeals Union govt to enact law against honour-based crimes
Despite repeated judicial and institutional concerns, honour-based crimes continue unabated, said Ravikumar in his letter to Shah on Wednesday
General Secretary of VCK and Villupuram MP D Ravikumar (X)
CHENNAI: VCK general secretary and Villupuram MP D Ravikumar has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stressing the urgent need for specific legislation to curb honour-based crimes in India.
Despite repeated judicial and institutional concerns, honour-based crimes continue unabated, said Ravikumar in his letter to Shah on Wednesday.
"These crimes cut across caste, tribe, religion, gender, and sexual orientation, " Ravikumar noted in the letter and further pointed out that official statistics fail to reflect the true scale of the problem.
"NCRB data significantly underrepresents this deeply troubling issue, " he said, highlighting that the National Crime Records Bureau recorded only 541 cases of honour killings, which he argued indicates systemic underreporting and a lack of uniformity in data collection across states.
Citing the 2012 report of the Law Commission of India, which unequivocally recommended a separate law to address honour crimes, Ravikumar also referred to the Supreme Court's landmark 2018 judgement in Shakti Vahini vs Union of India. That verdict directed both state and central governments to take preventive, remedial, and punitive measures, recognising the pressing need for dedicated legislation to tackle honour-related violence.
In his appeal, the MP urged the Home Minister to introduce a comprehensive law, similar in structure to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, specifically targeting all forms of honour-based crimes - be it killings, threats, social boycotts, forced confinement, or harassment. He called for the creation of a dedicated national database within the NCRB for honour-related offences and proposed the establishment of special fast-track courts to ensure time-bound trials and victim-sensitive procedures.
Ravikumar also underlined the importance of fixing "mandated accountability" for law enforcement agencies. "A holistic protection mechanism must be established for at-risk individuals and couples, " he wrote, stressing that without structural reforms and strong legal backing, vulnerable communities would continue to remain exposed to violence in the name of honour.
