Maharashtra Honour Killing Case

In March 2025, an inter-caste couple, Vandana Pawar (a Maratha) and Santosh Jagtap (a Dalit), were murdered in Nashik district, Maharashtra. Vandana's father Dattatray and brother Rajesh lured them to a family gathering, then killed them with sharp weapons. The family opposed the marriage, viewing it as a violation of caste honour. Police arrested the accused, and the prosecution established the premeditated nature of the crime. The court condemned the killings as a brutal honour killing, emphasizing the couple's constitutional right to choose their spouses.

In late 2025, the Nashik Sessions Court convicted Dattatray and Rajesh Pawar under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC for murder and common intention. Both were sentenced to death, with the court declaring that honour killing constitutes a rarest-of-rare crime warranting exemplary punishment.

The central dispute was whether the murders were driven purely by caste-based honour, and whether the exceptional gravity of an honour killing justified the death penalty for the family members.

The case intensified national outrage over caste violence and prompted renewed calls for a dedicated anti-honour killing law. Civil society groups amplified demands for community sensitization programmes, while legal experts debated the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent, highlighting the need to protect inter-caste couples from family retribution.