Paper Title
Highest Number of Honour Killings in Uttar Pradesh – A Critical Review

Abstract
Uttar Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction of reporting the highest number of honour killings and loveaffair- related murder cases. As per NCRB data, Uttar Pradesh has reported highest number of murders 4732, followed by Bihar 3178, Maharashtra 2509 and West Bengal 2096. There may be nothing honourable about honour killings but the shocking increase in such incidents in UP has left the police and social activists wondering about the reasons for the shocking increase in such incidents. It is a social crime and stringent police action in such cases would act as a deterrent in curbing it to some extent. But largely, it is about creating awareness among the people that such killings are not a solution to the complexities of the social surroundings. Increasing use of social media has helped in bringing such incidents to the fore. The NCRB report also showed an increase in murders resulting from love affairs and illicit relationships. Keywords- Honor killings, love-affair-related-murders, Social media, stringent police action, illicit relationships.