This Article is written by Savni Kapoor. This Article Discusses “examines Honour killing through a psychological and legal lens. It highlights why such crimes are still alive, how they violate our constitutional values, and much more.”.
Introduction
In a country that has one of the longest constitutions in the world and guarantees its people the principles of equality, liberty, and dignity, there exists a disturbing practice of Honour killing, which is a disturbing contradiction to our constitutional values. Honour killing remains one of the gravest violations of personal liberty in India. It refers to the murder of a person, usually by their own blood, on the belief that the individual has brought “dishonour” or “disgrace” to the family or community. Such killings often occur when a person chooses their own life partner, marries someone that does not belong to the same caste or religion, or just defies the tradition.
Honour killings are frequently justified in our society as acts committed to protect family reputations, in simple words, family pride, but in reality, they only represent extreme violence of patriarchy, fear, and collective social image in society. It is justified as an act that states that honour is worth more than the life of an individual.
While the law treats Honour killing as murder, legal provisions fail to capture the deeper psychological forces that back this horrendous practice. Honour killing is not just an act of rage, but it is the result of long-standing social conditioning and a shared belief system within families and communities. These families and communities put life over Honour, and that leads to bloodshed.
This blog examines Honour killing through a psychological and legal lens. It highlights why such crimes are still alive, how they violate our constitutional values, and much more.
What Does “Honour” Really Mean?
The idea of “Honour” in traditional Indian society is closely interwoven with social approval and family reputation. It focuses on obedience to the community rules and regulations.
Honour is not viewed as an individual value but as a collective asset that belongs to the family or caste group. Any defiance of norms is seen as a threat to this asset of pride.
It has been observed that women, in particular, are burdened with the responsibility of keeping this Honour. The triggers of such horrendous practices include marrying against family choices, Refusing to arrange marriages, and relationships with someone who is according to the family or community is considered a shame. When a woman asserts her autonomy and defies the norms. It is often perceived as a challenge to social hierarchy rather than the right of personal liberty. Reputation is believed to be much higher in the hierarchy of such norms than a person’s life, which is absolutely wrong.
Honour killing is a crime, not a tradition.
The Indian courts have consistently rejected the argument that Honour killings are cultural customs. The courts have clearly labeled Honour killing as a crime and not a weapon of protection of pride. Honour killing through a legal lens is treated as murder under criminal law, regardless of the motive behind it. The enactment of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, marks a significant legal shift, with Sections 100, 101, and 103(2) bringing light to, recognizing, and penalizing Honour killings with life imprisonment or the death penalty, but these sections do not properly address it as “honour killing”
Our judiciary has made it clear that tradition, custom, or societal approval can never justify taking a human’s life, and personal liberty is one’s right to live. In the Hierarchy, Honour can never take precedence over someone’s life. Pride or not, no one has a right to take a human’s life.
How Honour Killings Shatter Minds and Societies
“Patriarchy kills not just bodies, but dreams, freedom, and hope.”
Honour killings are not just social tragedies; they live inside society and suffocate it. They affect families, communities, and society as a whole, creating fear and oppression.
Even when individuals survive attempts and threats,
there are aspects of fear, shame, guilt, depression, and even PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) that chain them.
There is also the societal and community impact of the Culture of Silence,
where Honour killings are tacitly accepted and silence takes over; the Normalization of Violence,
where aggression is seen as a protective response for Honour protection; and Gender Inequality. It also results in generational trauma; children who witness or lose parents in Honour killings experience secondary trauma. Communities internalize fear, passing the so-called societal norm from generation to generation.
Many experience internal fear, leading them to suppress their own emotions, choices, and desires, reinforcing patriarchal control.
Honour is not a defence; understanding the legal perspective
Through a legal lens, Honour killings are seen as pre-planned murders;
the law clearly states that protection of Honour is NOT a justification for taking someone’s life. They are treated as a conspired murder with specific protection for women and vulnerable individuals.
Preventing tragedy, preserving dignity
Prevention of Honour killings requires all social, legal, educational, and psychological interventions.
Legal: There should be strict enforcement of existing laws, fast-track courts, protection orders,
and public awareness campaigns that can help with the prevention of this tragedy.
Social: Requirement of local leaders to acknowledge this tragedy and reject Honour-based killings;
there should be cultural education, especially in rural areas, to prevent such thinking of putting Honour above life.
Psychological and Educational: There should be counselling for survivors and rehabilitation programs alongside promotion of gender equality
and awareness in institutions.
Hence, Honour killings can only be prevented when law, society, education, and psychology work together hand in hand.
In Final Analysis
Honour killings are a tragedy for society; they destroy lives just for the sake of safeguarding pride. It leaves permanent scars for survivors as well. The law treats this as planned murder,
and courts have repeatedly stated that family Honour is never a defence for taking an individual’s life. Prevention requires the interweaving of social, legal, educational, and psychological threads working together. By valuing choices, desires, and freedom of people, society can break this cycle of Honour-based violence. Honour should never be balanced by blood. Life should always come first.
References
1. Indian Penal Code 1860, ss 302, 34, 120B.
2. Criminal Procedure Code 1973, ss 154, 156, 190, 439.
3. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
Books, Articles & Reports (Definition, Causes, and Impacts)
1. Kritika Deora and Parth Sharma, ‘Honour Killing: A Gift of Casteist Patriarchy,’ Legal Service India (last visited 16 February 2026).
2.P Mani, ‘Honour Killings in India: A Critical Study’ (2017) 4(6) SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science 110.
