The Madras High Court has highlighted that the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly election results demonstrate that voters are capable of making decisions beyond caste considerations. This observation was made by Justice B Pugalendhi from the Madurai Bench while hearing a bail plea concerning an alleged honor killing case in Tirunelveli.
In the case of Saravanan v. State, Justice Pugalendhi remarked, “The recent assembly election results in Tamil Nadu have shown that people can indeed be convinced to vote without considering the caste or community of the contestants. In fact, a government has been formed by largely nullifying the factors of caste. It must be remembered that the state can claim ‘true change’ only when the mindset of the people is also changed. Therefore, this government shall take the responsibility and initiative to eradicate caste from the minds of the people.”
The bail plea was filed by Saravanan, the father of the main accused in the alleged honor killing of Kavin, an engineering graduate involved in a relationship with Saravanan’s daughter. Justice Pugalendhi pointed out that casteism remains pervasive and affects everyone, including judges, who are not immune from caste-based accusations regarding their rulings.
Justice Pugalendhi stated that honor killings represent the “extreme reflection of casteism” and emphasized that casteism fractures society. The court disclosed that 59 honor killings have been reported in Tamil Nadu over the past decade, underscoring that casteism is deeply entrenched and detrimental to the societal framework.
The court further noted that the blame cannot solely rest on individuals like Saravanan and his family, as casteist attitudes are widespread. Justice Pugalendhi also criticized the projection of historical leaders such as K Kamaraj, Muthuramalinga Thevar, and VO Chidambaram along communal lines, underscoring the need for a change in mindset which only the State can effectively instigate.
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The court remarked that caste-based biases are particularly pronounced in Tamil Nadu’s southern districts. It referenced a committee led by retired Justice K Chandru, constituted after violence among school students, and expressed concern that its recommendations have not been fully implemented. The court emphasized that legislative measures like the SC/ST Act have not met expectations, advocating for educational reforms to reshape young minds.
“There is truly no ‘honour’ in honour killings and it is a shameful act,” the court asserted. The bench concluded that the evidence was insufficient to implicate Saravanan in the crime, noting his 10-month incarceration, the completion of the investigation, and the stay on proceedings against him in a quashing petition. Consequently, bail was granted on a bond of ₹1 lakh with two sureties.
Saravanan was represented by Advocate Ananth, while Government Counsel D Venkatesh represented the State, and Advocate C M Arumugam represented the defacto complainant.
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[Read Judgment]
