Karnataka's Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition and Protection of Freedom of Choice in Marriage law draws upon the spirit of ‘Eva Nammava’ or ‘they are ours', the inclusive philosophy of Lingayat saint-philosopher Basavanna.
The Karnataka Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition and Protection of Freedom of Choice in Marriage law, which draws on the inclusive philosophy of 'they are ours' (Eva Nammava) has given much-needed legal relief to those in inter-caste relationships. But when caste pride and fear of society blind parents, are just legal reforms enough?
Hubballi resident Vivekananda Doddamani remembers the night of December 21, 2025, in chilling detail. It was the night he lost both his wife and unborn child; not to illness, not to a freak accident, but allegedly to the cold, calculated rage of his wife’s family, who couldn’t come to terms with their marriage. Doddamani says he and 19-year-old Manya Patil had been in love for two years before marrying in June 2025. But her family was purportedly vehemently opposed to the match.
According to Doddamani, a 22-year-old who does glass work for buildings, while he is a Dalit, his late wife’s family is Lingayat — a dominant community in Karnataka. Ironically, an important aspect of the Lingayat philosophy at the time of its founding had been staunch opposition to the caste system and social inequalities.
After the wedding, the couple moved to Haveri “for safety, owing to the constant threat of violence from Manya’s family”. “Manya’s parents had even filed a missing person’s report, but when we appeared before the police and Manya admitted to having voluntarily married me, her parents disowned her in front of the officers and announced that she was dead to them,” he claims.
Then, when a seven-month pregnant Manya and Doddamani returned to Hubballi — to the latter’s family home — for her baby shower, she was allegedly killed by Manya’s father, Prakashgouda Patil, and other relatives.
“A day before, they had attacked my father and uncle on the road. When I tried to intervene, they turned on me, but I managed to flee. Then, they stormed the house, armed with pickaxes and other things and targeted Manya, inflicting severe injuries to her head and abdomen. My parents and I also sustained injuries. Manya was rushed to the hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries that very night, our unborn child passing with her,” says Doddamani.
What continues to disturb him even now is the “utter isolation” faced by the family at the time of the attack. “None of the villagers came to our aid,” he alleges.
Months after the incident, however, help for couples like Manya and Doddamani has come from none other than the Karnataka government.
Last month, the state’s law and parliamentary affairs minister, HK Patil, introduced the Karnataka Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition and Protection of Freedom of Choice in Marriage (Eva Nammava) Bill, 2026, which has since been approved by both houses of the state legislature. It received the Governor’s approval last week.
The law’s spirit of ‘Eva Nammava’ or ‘they are ours', draws from the inclusive philosophy of Lingayat saint-philosopher Basavanna. It recognises the constitutional right of two consenting adults to marry without requiring approval from parents or society, provides for police protection with six hours of a complaint being made by any inter-caste or interfaith couple facing threat, makes provision of legal aid, counselling, and rehabilitation through committees led by deputy commissioners, makes ostracising couples or their families a punishable offence, provides for government-funded shelter for couples facing threat for at least one month or as long as required and directs groups or leaders inciting violence in the name of honour to be treated as offenders, among other things.
Speaking at the Legislative Council last month, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara stated that 15 cases of alleged honour killings have been registered in Karnataka in the past five years. Representational image
Though Manya’s case was the most recent preceding the introduction of the Eva Nammava Bill, Karnataka has reportedly seen a spate of alleged honour killings in recent years — murders, usually of a woman perceived to have brought dishonour to the family, usually by male members of the family. Marriages or relationships outside one’s caste or religion are among the primary reasons.
In Devanahalli, in 2023, a father allegedly killed his daughter for being in an inter-caste relationship, before surrendering to the police. In another incident the same year, in KJF, a young woman was allegedly killed by her father, while her lover purportedly died by suicide. In a third such case that year, a seventeen-year-old was allegedly killed by her father, who falsely reported her to be missing. Last year, in Kalburgi, a woman was allegedly strangled to death by her father and relatives and her body reportedly burnt to make it appear a suicide.
Speaking at the Legislative Council last month, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara stated that 15 cases of alleged honour killings have been registered in Karnataka in the past five years.
The crime is not peculiar to Karnataka. Across India, the National Crime Records Bureau recorded only 38 cases of honour killing in India. The number had been 18 in 2022. In 2023, Jharkhand emerged as the state with the largest number of honour killings — nine. Haryana, which had long drawn attention as being among the states where the fear of violence, often sanctioned by local kangaroo courts or khap panchayats, had haunted those in inter-caste or inter-religious relationships, reported six cases. Many experts are convinced, however, all such official figures underestimate the actual scale of the crime.
Way back in 2006, the Supreme Court had reportedly observed, “We sometimes hear of ‘honour’ killings of such persons who undergo inter-caste or inter-religious marriages of their own free will. There is nothing honourable in such killings, and in fact, they are nothing but barbaric and shameful acts of murder committed by brutal, feudal-minded persons who deserve harsh punishment. Only in this way can we stamp out such acts of barbarism.”
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But the problem persists.
“Even though the Constitution allows inter-caste marriages, the cruel reality is that parents are still killing their own children owing to regressive social mindsets. In this context, we had been advocating for a special law,” Suresh Khanapur, a leader of the Dharwad district unit of the Karnataka Dalit Liberation Committee, told The Federal.
He added, however, that while the law was welcome, building awareness around it, and around the issue, was crucial.
“There are awareness and fear about the POCSO [Protection of Children from Sexual Offences] Act, but the same is lacking when it comes to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. This reflects the failure of the administration. Authorities must create awareness about new laws among the general public, especially the illiterate. Only then can social justice be achieved,” said Khanapur.
In some cases, perpetrators are even celebrated as “heroes”, point out experts. Delayed FIRs, lack of forensic evidence, and weak prosecution lead to acquittals, says senior lawyer S Balan.
While the 'Constitution allows inter-caste marriages, the cruel reality is that parents are still killing their own children owing to regressive social mindsets', says a Dalit activist. Representational image
Activist C. Kumari cites the example of one such case she had seen in Abalavadi village of Mandya district in 2011, where the girl’s family attacked a couple and then hanged the girl at home to make it seem like a suicide, before cremating her. Investigators later claimed problems in forensic data collection and even DNA matching, resulting in the accused being released on bail.
“Caste pride and fear of what society will say often blind parents,” says Kumari.
According to retired Karnataka police officer N Nagaraj, however, the caste factor is not the only trigger for honour killings; either of the family’s perceived social or financial superiority could also play a part.
Agrees Kumari: “Inter-caste marriages are somewhat accepted when economic status is equal. But when a wealthy or influential family’s daughter falls in love with a poor or Dalit youth, it becomes an ‘honour’ issue.”
In such a scenario, simply bringing in a law is not enough, she says. Both Kumar and Nagraj stress the need for a change in social mindsets. The concern seems real as reports come in of a fresh case of suspected honour killing; a married woman who had eloped with her lover in Karantaka's Belagavi, but was traced by the family and allegedly poisoned and her body burnt on March 21.
For the moment, however, the legal respite case caused couples in inter-caste relationships in Karnataka to breathe a sigh of relief.
Like 30-year-old K Ganesh and 27-year-old Arathi (names changed on request), residents of Virajpet taluk, who married for love, but have been living in fear since.
“We not only faced severe opposition from her family but also received death threats,” says Ganesh. He adds: “We had to leave our village to get married and were forced to live in constant fear.”
Agrees Arathi: “When my family came to know about my relationship, they confined me and subjected me to emotional abuse. They threatened to kill both of us, saying it would bring dishonour to the family. Now, with the Eva Nammava law, the government is respecting our freedom of choice and providing facilities like safe houses.”
For Doddamani, the law has come too late for protection. All that the 22-year-old hopes for now is justice, and the death penalty for the alleged killers of his wife and unborn child.
