Karnataka passes law protecting inter-caste couples
Change
Karnataka passed the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition Bill, 2026, criminalising killings in the name of honour with a minimum five-year prison term and requiring police to provide protection within six hours plus state-funded safe houses in every district.
Why it matters
The statute removes the need for parental, family, caste, or clan consent for adult marriages, blocking customary vetoes over marriage solemnisation. It also outlaws social boycotts and creates district-level prevention cells and a 24-hour helpline to deliver counsel, legal aid, and rehabilitation to targeted couples.
Implications
- • District police chiefs in Karnataka must implement documented rapid-response procedures to provide protection within six hours of complaints, or couples will be denied the law's mandated immediate protection.
- • District magistrates in Karnataka must establish state-funded safe houses and a district-level special cell with a 24-hour helpline, or couples will lack the statutory shelter and assistance the law requires.
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Source
Topics
Policy & Regulation Human Rights Regulatory Actions Criminal Justice