Delhi
As many as five people were killed per month following ugly spats over sex-related reasons
Updated : Feb 14, 2017, 06:55 AM IST
A 23-year-old man was beaten to death in southwest Delhi in November last year, allegedly by his own elder brother, after he was caught in a compromising position with the latter's wife. The accused, Pramod, 25, woke up early in the morning to find his wife in his brother Rakesh's room, and lost his temper. He bludgeoned Rakesh to death then and there.
This was not a one-off case. According to the data released by the Delhi Police, in 2016, every seventh murder in the city was a fallout of sex-related issues. As many as five people were killed per month following ugly spats over sex-related reasons. Senior officers said these issues included illicit relationships, sexual problems, and incompatibility.
In yet another such case in December 2016, a plumber, who had been living with a woman for eight years, came to know that she had relations with some other persons as well. Enraged, he then had a heated argument with her before allegedly attacking her with a hammer. The man, identified as Balram, later mutilated the woman's body and threw it in different drains.
According to the police data, 528 murders were reported in 2016, of which 13 per cent or 68 murders were related to sexual reasons. Joint Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathak said such crimes erupt out of social and psychological strains and are difficult to prevent as in most such cases, the accused and the victims are closely related.
"These murders usually follow provocation after arguments and altercations over sexual behaviours. It may be because of social, cultural, or psychological pressures," Pathak said. Talking about the overall number of murders, he said the rate has fallen in 2016, as compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, according to some psychologists, most of these accused cannot control their impulse and adopt criminal behaviour. They remain largely unaffected by the sufferings of the victim.
"Sex, hunger, and aggression affect the dopamine level directly. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and a precursor for several other substances, including adrenaline. These three are also the basic instincts for survival. Usually, people are able to control these instincts to live in society. But when a person is unable to control them, they end up adopting criminal behaviour," Psychologist Sameer Malhotra said.