Honour Killing in Chennai, India: Young Dalit Stabbed to Death

G Pravin
Age: 22
Stabbed to Death: February 24, 2024
Residence: Pallikaranai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Origin: India
Children: None
Perpetrators: D Dinesh (23) of Jalladianpet, N Sriram (18), S Vishnu Raj (25), R Stephen Kumar (24), B Jothi Lingam (25)

On Saturday night, February 24, 2024, 22-year-old bike mechanic G Pravin went out to buy dinner for his family. He received a call from Sriram, a friend, asking him to meet at a specified location. Upon arrival, Pravin was ambushed by a five-member gang, which included his brother-in-law, 23-year-old D Dinesh. He was hacked to death with knives near a bar in Pallikaranai. The perpetrators were apprehended the following day.

Pallikaranai police reported that Sriram had tipped off the gang and aided in the murder. Pravin and D Sharmila (20) of Jalladianpet, currently a fourth-year student at a private college, had been in a relationship since their school days, despite belonging to different castes. The couple married in October despite opposition from her parents. Sharmila's family had been issuing threats to the couple and filed a case against Pravin, alleging abduction. When the couple visited the police station to clarify that the marriage was consensual, her brother threatened to kill them.

A police official noted that the deceased was also a suspect in the 2022 murder of a ganja peddler. It is speculated that this murder may have been committed in retaliation, as three of the perpetrators were friends of the slain peddler.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.