The Madras High Court on Monday issued notice to Tamil Nadu government and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on a PIL seeking a new legislation to prevent honour killings in the state and a direction to the authorities to provide arms to SCs.

The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan which heard the PIL, issued the notice to the state government and the Commission in Delhi and in this city and posted the matter to July 27.

Petitioner Vaaragi, while referring to various cases of honour killings in the state, submitted that though there are several provisions to protect the interests of SC/ST community, they have been subjected to discrimination by caste Hindus and government machinery.

He also submitted that the state government, represented by the Council of Ministers, has powers to enact laws to prevent honour killings but had failed to do so.

Stating that the judiciary has the power to fill up the lacuna, Vaaragi sought a direction to the government and authorities concerned to bring forward a legislation against incidents of honour killings and direct them to provide arms to Scheduled Castes, as contemplated under Rule 3(1)(5) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes(prevention of Atrocities) Rules 1995.