Six get death sentence for brutal Tamil Nadu 'honor killing'
More than 1.5 years after murdering a Dalit youth in full public view, six persons in Tamil Nadu have been sentenced to death for the 'honor killing'. The video of a group of men hacking Sankar and his wife Kausalya, a Hindu, on a road went viral last year. Kausalya survived with head injuries. Her father and five others will now be hanged.
The tale of Sankar and Kausalya
Kausalya met Sankar, a native of Kumaralingam, when she joined an engineering college in Pollachi; he was then in third-year. They got married against her parents' wishes when she was in her second year. Eight months later, on March 13, 2016, they had gone shopping to Udumalpet when goons suddenly appeared and attacked them. Sankar died. Kausalya managed to survive. Her father later surrendered.
Before the attack, kidnapping attempts and payoffs
The attack came after several attempts by the family to separate the two. Kausalya claimed before the attack, she was once kidnapped by her relatives but she managed to escape. They also offered Sankar Rs. 10L to leave her.
Eight people convicted of the gruesome crime
The 1,500-page chargesheet named 11 persons including Kausalya's parents and maternal uncle. After a 20-month trial, the Tirupur district and sessions court has sentenced her father and five others to death. One got life, another a five-year jail term and three others, including her mother and uncle, were acquitted. It has also ordered a compensation of Rs. 11.95L to Sankar's family and Kausalya.
Kausalya has meanwhile turned her life around
Meanwhile, Kausalya, who attempted suicide two months after the attack, has evolved into an inter-caste marriage crusader. She refused a government job on compassionate grounds, but joined the Defense Ministry on merit. She has also opened a free tuition centre for underprivileged kids and is associated with several Dalit organizations. She supported the education of her brothers'-in-law; one has already got a job.
