The Supreme Court on Monday, April 28, confirmed the convictions in the brutal Kannagi-Murugesan honour killing case from Tamil Nadu.

A bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice PK Mishra dismissed the appeals filed by eight convicts who had challenged the 2022 Madras High Court judgment. The High Court had earlier upheld the life imprisonment sentences awarded to them.

The tragic case involved the killing of an inter-caste couple, S Murugesan and D Kannagi. Murugesan was a Chemical Engineering graduate from the Dalit community. Kannagi, a Commerce graduate, belonged to the Vanniyar community. The two had secretly married on May 5, 2003, due to fear of family opposition.

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However, when Kannagi's family learned about their marriage, they took violent action. On July 7, 2003, just as the couple was planning to leave town, they were caught by Kannagi’s family members. Both were forced to drink poison, leading to their deaths. Later, their bodies were burned in an attempt to destroy evidence.

"The murder of the couple was seen as one of the first 'Honour Killing' cases reported in Tamil Nadu."

The investigation initially handled by the local police was found to be flawed. Therefore, the probe was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure a fair and thorough inquiry.

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In 2021, the trial court awarded the death sentence to Marudupandian, Kannagi’s brother, for his role in the crime. Twelve others, including Kannagi's father, were sentenced to life imprisonment. However, in 2022, the Madras High Court reduced Marudupandian’s death penalty to a life sentence and confirmed the life sentences of nine others. Two of the accused were acquitted at the High Court stage.

"Justice must be delivered even when time has passed; the dignity of human life must be upheld," the court emphasized.

In its latest ruling, the Supreme Court not only confirmed the convictions but also directed that compensation be given to Murugesan’s parents. Advocate Rahul Shyam Bhandari represented Murugesan’s parents in the Supreme Court proceedings.

Further specifics are awaited after the complete judgment is officially uploaded.

Case : KP Tamilmaran vs State SLP(Crl) No. 1522/2023 and connected cases.