Jaipur: In a significant political development, Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde has returned the “Honor Killing Bill-2019”, introduced during the Ashok Gehlot government, sending ripples through the state legislature on the very first day of the budget session.
Why the Bill Was Returned
The current state administration argues that at the time of the bill’s passage, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) were the governing laws. However, with the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, the government maintains that Section 103 of BNS is fully equipped to handle heinous crimes like honor killings. This section prescribes capital punishment or life imprisonment for perpetrators, rendering a separate state-level law unnecessary.
Gehlot Government’s Intent
The bill, introduced in 2019, was framed in the backdrop of incidents like the Pahlu Khan case (2017) and aimed to curb lynching and honor killings. It proposed strict action against self-styled Khap Panchayats and others who harassed couples in inter-caste or inter-religious marriages. Punishments included life imprisonment and fines of up to ₹5 lakh, reflecting the government’s intent to impose severe deterrents.
Governor’s Track Record of Returns
This is not the first time the Governor has returned a bill from a previous government. Earlier, he had returned the Mob Lynching Bill-2019, the three contentious farm laws, and Vasundhara Raje’s Freedom of Religion Bill. Recently, the Bhajanlal government passed its own Rajasthan Unlawful Religious Conversion (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, clearly signaling its legislative priorities.
The Governor’s move underscores a shift in Rajasthan’s approach: state-level laws will now take a backseat, with the central legal framework under BNS expected to address serious crimes.
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