Hooda ignored expert opinion to oppose bill on honour killings.

Times of India; Friday 22, April 2011,

CHANDIGARH: When Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda opposed the Centre's proposals to add more teeth to laws to tackle the growing menace of honour killings, he overruled two opinions – that of the state law secretary and director general of police – that favoured the Union proposals.

On Thursday, TOI had reported how Hooda had raised objections to important proposals by the Union home ministry that were aimed at making amendments to existing sections of the IPC in order to effectively counter honour killings. Information under RTI Act revealed that Haryana government had written to Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is heading the group of ministers (GoM) working on the changes, voicing his opinion. After receiving the proposals from MHA, state home department had sought comments from the Haryana advocate general, law secretary-cum-legal remembrancer and DGP.

According to the documents accessed by TOI under RTI Act, the law secretary and the DGP supported the Centre's proposals for amendments in the law. Haryana advocate general, however, had commented that there was no need for a new law or amendments to tackle honour killings, saying the existing provisions were enough. In a communication of July 16, 2010, to state home department ADGP (law and order) BS Sandhu, written on the behalf of the DGP, stated: "The proposed amendment bill has been studied. The police is in agreement with the proposed bill."

In his comments sent to the chief secretary on July 22, 2010, assistant legal remembrancer Sanjay Singhmar, on the behalf of law secretary, said: "The proposed bill will concentrate on reducing the regional differences and the differences among people on illogical notions. The proposed legislation is a stringent step to avoid direct or indirect steps resulting in penetration of casteism further in the country." "Honour killings are most barbaric ... with the increase in the number of honour killings, it is true that the precious human rights of people and especially the right to dignity is being violated in our society.

It is very difficult to ensure that there is no discrimination in the name of caste or community unless our society completely eradicates casteism ... The amendment bill is indeed a step forward in this regard," he added. It was advocate general Hawa Singh Hooda whose opinion was accepted by the state government. "There is no requirement of amendment of Section 300 of IPC by adding new clauses to contain the menace of 'honour killings'.... If a new clause is added as proposed, it may lead to endless additions and shall destroy the basic fabric of Section 300 of IPC," the advocate general had said in its note to the government. The GoM had sought views of states on its proposal to add a new clause to Section 300 of IPC to categorise honour killing as murder.