Another honour killing in Punjab

In yet another case of honour killing, a couple was shot dead in Punjab on the orders of the girl's father for marrying against his wishes.

It has been reported that the victims -- Prabhjot Kaur and Pradeep Singh -- from Ferozepur, both students of Class 12, were shot dead by five unidentified gunmen when they arrived at a local school in Amritsar for their board examinations.

The killers fled the spot after the murder and snatched the carbine of a security guard accompanying the couple. The victims were provided police protection on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court after their marriage.

There are reports that as many as 15 bullets were fired at the couple, who died on the spot.

"This incident should not have happened. But the boy's behaviour was not correct. He had left

his first wife and also has a child. He married his wife's niece. It is a case of personal enmity," said Sukhdev Singh Brar, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Firozepur.

"A number of cases were registered against him. The girl is from the same family. We will round up those involved soon," added Brar.

It has been reported that the government is now contemplating to include the crime in the IPC (Indian Penal Code).

The government had earlier said that a proposal to amend the Indian Penal Code to deal with honour killings is under consideration. However, it was not clear by when will the amendment come into practice.

In a landmark judgment, the Karnal sessions court on Tuesday awarded death sentence to the five accused and life-term to the leader of the Khap Panchayat for murder of a newly-married couple.