The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeals filed by the convicts in the infamous Kannagi-Murugesan honour killings case from Tamil Nadu, thereby affirming the Madras High Court’s 2022 judgment in the matter.
A Bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia upheld the life imprisonment sentences of nine convicts, while confirming the High Court’s decision to commute the death penalty awarded to one convict into life imprisonment. The Court also maintained the acquittal of two accused who had been exonerated of all charges by the High Court.
Additionally, the Supreme Court directed the payment of ₹5 lakh as compensation to the victims’ family, represented before the Court by advocate Rahul Shyam Bhandari.
Background of the Case
The tragic case stems from the killing of Kannagi and Murugesan, a young couple who defied caste barriers to marry. Kannagi, who belonged to the Vanniyar community categorised as a Most Backward Class, had fallen in love with Murugesan, a Scheduled Caste man, while studying at Annamalai University in Chidambaram.
Despite societal opposition, they secretly registered their marriage in Cuddalore on May 5, 2003. Upon discovering the marriage, Kannagi’s family reacted with fury. On July 8, 2003, according to the prosecution, the couple was forcibly administered poison at the village cremation ground in Puthukkooraippettai, Cuddalore district, and their bodies were subsequently burnt in an attempt to fabricate a suicide narrative.
Initially, the investigation conducted by the local police was marred by serious lapses. Consequently, on the insistence of Murugesan’s father, the probe was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which filed its final report in 2009.
Trial and Convictions
In the trial conducted by a special court in Cuddalore, 13 individuals were convicted for their roles in the crime. Kannagi’s brother was sentenced to death, while the remaining convicts were awarded life imprisonment.
However, upon appeal, the Madras High Court in 2022 modified the trial court’s verdict by commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment for Kannagi’s brother and acquitting two of the accused.
With the dismissal of the convicts’ appeals, the Supreme Court has brought closure to the protracted legal battle, nearly two decades after the brutal incident. Upholding the findings of the High Court, the apex court reinforced that honour killings rooted in caste prejudices cannot be tolerated and must be dealt with strictly under the law.
