KEVIN MURDER CASE OF HONOUR KILLING

TANISHA SHARMA

BACKGROUND (KEVIN MURDER CASE OF HONOUR KILLING)

Kevin Joseph, a 23-year-old Dalit Christian youth from Nattassery in Kottayam (Kerala) was in a relationship with Neenu Chacko. Neenu’s father was a Latin Catholic and mother, Rehna, a Muslim while Kelvin’s parents were Dalit Christians. They decided to get married amidst strong resentment from within Neenu’s family who was worried that their “prestige was at stake”, given Kevin’s financial status. While Ms. Chacko was sent to a hostel thereafter, Kevin shifted to the residence of Aneesh, one of his relative. On 25 May 2018, the couple filed an application of marriage though Neenu's family challenged the application; however, the issue was settled in the presence of police. On May 26 midnight, Kevin along with Aneesh was abducted allegedly by a gang led by Syanu Chacko, brother of Kevin’s wife Neenu Chacko and his friends from his home in Kottayam. Neenu approached the local police for help, they allegedly refused to intervene. The police refused to act even on the second day citing VIP duty. The police negligence came to light as media intervened in the act.

Later that day, police launched a statewide hunt for Kevin and the accused in the case. Though on the night of May 27, Aneesh managed to escape from the custody of abductors. On May 28 morning, Kevin's body was fished out of a river in Kollam district. His head, eyes, and internal organs were severely injured. Kevin's death led to massive public outrage forcing the government to act tough on the police officers who failed to discharge their duties. Officers including a sub-inspector and an additional sub-inspector were suspended in connection with this. Neenu’s parents were arrested after she complained to the police that they were involved in the crime.

Pronouncing the judgment, Justice C. Jayachandran approved the prosecution’s argument that racial prejudice was the motive behind the youth's murder. It acquitted four persons, including Chacko John, father of the victim’s wife Neenu, for want of evidence. It, however, found 10 persons, including Neenu’s brother Shyanu Chacko, guilty of murder (IPC Section 302) and kidnapping for ransom (IPC Section 364 [a]). A few days after Kevin’s death, Neenu’s father had approached the court saying she was mentally unstable. He wanted her to be shifted in a shelter home, away from Kevin’s family.

A turning point in the case came on June 3 when forensic experts from Thiruvananthapuram told the court that Kevin had been forcibly drowned to death. The initial medical report had only said that he was drowned to death and the accused had argued in court that there was no case of murder, but only of kidnap. Kevin’s cousin Aneesh Sebastian (the prime witness), Aneesh’s elder brother Jossan J (second witness), Neenu and others had deposed before the court and had not wavered in their statements. The prosecution produced 240 documents and 113 witnesses in the case. However, seven witnesses turned hostile. The prosecution also produced 55 exhibits. Mobile phone tower location, messages, CCTV visuals, etc. turned out to be crucial in the case.

CURRENT ISSUE

On 22^nd August 2019, a court in Kerala convicted ten accused in Kevin murder case of honour killing. The bench led by principal sessions Justice C Jayachandran said that the murder was an Honour killing. Kevin’s ‘Honour Killing’, a first of its kind in Kerala, had led to sweeping protests across the state last year with a large section of Dalit organizations as well as the opposition UDF up in arms against the inaction of the police and the involvement of a few DYFI leaders in the case. The funeral of Kevin was conducted at his home on a massive scale with thousands of people flowing in to pay their respects.

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CONCLUSION

The case exposed untouchability and practices of not having equal rights for everyone. It showed that even within the Christian community, Dalits are not considered as real Christians by the dominant caste Christians. Kevin’s case has taken on new importance in the absence of a conviction in other ‘Honor Killings’ in the state. Moreover, there’s a palpable concern that these cases will only increase over time. Kerala society instead of addressing caste has always resided on an unrealistic fact that caste doesn’t exist in Kerala. Due to the peculiar political atmosphere of the state, the focus had been on class and the notion was that caste is not a factor that needed a public sense to be built around it. Casteism won’t vanish from people’s mind whatever progress they claim.

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