Honour killing in Hyderabad: Six men stabbed Neeraj Panwar to death in public

Neeraj Panwar
Born: 2000
Stabbed to death: 20 May 2022
Residence: Begumbazar, Hyderabad
Origin: India
Children: 1 son (2 months old at the time of the murder)
Perpetrators: Abhinandan Yadav alias Nandan (26), K. Vijay Yadav (22), K. Sanjay Yadav (25), B. Rohith Yadav (21), Mahesh Aheer Yadav alias Gotiya (21) and a minor

Neeraj Panwar belongs to a family that has been making its money by trading nuts at the Begum Bazaar in Haiderabad for three generations. In April 2021, Neeraj married Sanjana (21) out of love. Her brothers were against this love marriage because Neeraj is from a different caste and follows a different religion. They had threatened to kill both of them because they said their names were stained. Neeraj and Sanjana reported the threats to the police, the men were invited for questioning at the police station but they did not show up.

In early 2022, Sanjana gave birth to a son. Neeraj often had to go to Kolsawadi for work, an area where Sanjana's family lives. Allegedly irritated by his frequent visits to their area, an ambush was devised and organized to kill him.

On Friday evening, May 20, 2022, Neeraj rode his bicycle with his grandfather on the back in an ambush near the Begum Bazaar. A gang of 6 young men attacked Neeraj with knives and boulders. Chili powder was thrown into their eyes to blind them. Neeraj had two tattoos, on one wrist it said Sanjana and on the other Neeraj. Both wrists were slashed in front of his grandfather and several bystanders who watched powerless.

Bleeding heavily, Neeraj was admitted to Osmania Hospital where he died of his injuries during his treatment.

The Shahinayathgunj police in Hyderabad solved the murder within 24 hours and arrested six persons, including a minor.

Neeraj's father urged the government to introduce a law to better protect people who marry for love.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.