Honour killings widespread in Uttar Pradesh: NGO

Honour killings are wide-spread in Uttar Pradesh though reported just from the western districts of the state, an NGO in Lucknow claimed in a report today.

AALI (Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiative), an NGO working for women's rights, in a report claimed in 2009, there were 79 honour killings in the state, out of which only 14 were reported from the western districts (which is considered to be the influence areas of Khap panchayat).

Of the 36 killings between January and March this year only 7 took place in the western parts, the report said.

Young couples, who have chosen their partners themselves, have also been killed in central and eastern UP districts like Lucknow, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Agra, Ghaziabad, Shrawasti, Barabanki, Rae Bareli, Etah, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Basti, Rampur, Farrukhabad, Lakhimpur Kheri, Kanpur and Mainpuri, it claimed.

The report also claims that couples asserting their right to choice have often been at the receiving end of the police, primary courts and district administration.

Uttar Pradesh is among the nine states which have received notices from the Supreme Court on June 22 this year with regard to honour killings.