NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court's September 29 order quashing the chargesheet against three accused in the honour killing of Kavin in Tirunelveli last year.
The appeal filed in the top court stated that the High Court failed to appreciate that honour killings involve collective family decisions and that charges cannot be quashed merely because weapons were not recovered from particular accused.
The state government challenged the September 29, 2026, order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras HC discharging K. Saravanan and Krishnakumari, suspended police sub-inspectors and parents of the prime accused, Surjith.
It is expected that the top court is likely to take up the matter very soon. A source in the Registry told TNIE that the matter is very sensitive and that the court will take an urgent call on it. She, however, refused to divulge more on this.
Twenty-seven-year-old Dalit IT engineer C. Kavin Selvaganesh was allegedly murdered in Tirunelveli district in July 2025 by his lover's brother, Surjith, while other family members, including his parents, allegedly conspired, instigated and facilitated the crime due to caste differences.
The police filed the chargesheet against 11 persons for offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST Act.
The HC had quashed the charges against three, observing that the prosecution had not established their direct involvement in the murder beyond suspicion.
The Tamil Nadu government, in its appeal, argued that the evaluation of evidence is the domain of the trial court and that the High Court's interference at the threshold stage is illegal, especially when the case involves caste atrocity and honour killing.
It urged the apex court to stay the High Court order and restore the charges against the three accused.
