Uncle, cousin of honour killing victim held for hate speeches

NEW DELHI - The uncle and cousin of an accused in a suspected honour killing were taken into preventive custody Thursday for making provocative statements justifying the three murders.

“We have taken them into preventive custody under Sections 107 (security for keeping peace in the other case) and 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of a cognizable offence) of the Cr PC (Criminal Procedure Code),” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) N.S. Bundela.

According to the police, this was necessary as statements by the two justifying the crimes may instigate others, leading to other such crimes.

Talking to reporters Wednesday, accused Mandeep Nagar’s uncle Dharmaveer Nagar and his cousin Nitin justified the killing of Monica, her husband Kuldeep and Monica’s cousin Shobha.

“This (killing) is not at all wrong. What is wrong in it? Murder is wrong but this (killing) is socially the best thing that has been done,” Mandeep’s uncle had said.

Monica and Kuldeep belonged to different castes and their families did not approve of their marriage, while Shobha had helped her sister elope with a man belonging to another caste.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh police arrested Mandeep along with Ankit, the brother of Monica, and an associate, Nikku, from Ghaziabad.

“The prime suspects Mandeep, 23, Ankit, 22, and Nakul alias Nikku, who were missing since Sunday were arrested from Garh Mukteshwar in Ghaziabad,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Uttar Pradesh, Brij Lal, told reporters in Ghaziabad.

Lal said the accused have confessed to killing Monica and Kuldeep and Monica’s cousin Shobha in Ashok Vihar locality of the national capital.