Supreme Court Affirms Life Sentences in Landmark Tamil Nadu Honour Killing Case

The Supreme Court on April 28 upheld the convictions in the Kannagi-Murugesan honour killing case from Tamil Nadu.

A bench of Justices dismissed the appeals filed by eight convicts against the Madras High Court’s 2022 judgment.

The case concerned the 2003 murder of an inter-caste couple, S Murugesan (Dalit) and D Kannagi (Vanniyar), poisoned and burned by Kannagi’s family.

The trial court had sentenced one accused to death and others to life imprisonment; the High Court commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment in 2022.

The Supreme Court also directed compensation of Rs. 5 Lakhs to Murugesan’s parents.