The Supreme Court has termed the 'khap' panchayats or Caste Councils as illegal saying these should be stamped out ruthlessly. A bench of justices Markandeya Katju and Gyan Sudha Mishra said, honour killing is barbaric and shameful and asked states to suspend district magistrates and SPs concerned if they failed to act against the offenders. The Court said the new trends of kangaroo courts in northern India and katta panchayats in Tamil Nadu are barbaric and illegal, the perpetrators of which required the harshest punishment. Upholding the sentence given by Madras High Court in the SC/ST atrocities provision act, the apex court asked the administrative and police officials to take strong measures to prevent such atrocious acts. The Court said copy of the judgement shall be sent to all Chief Secretaries, Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police in all States and Union Territories for circulating the same to the district magistrates and SSPs for compliance.