6 Reasons Why People Kill Each Other In India

When you have 1.2 billion people together, people are bound to fight with each other for a variety of reasons, which in turn can explain why people kill each other in India. Every year, over 30,000 people are killed in India, which is an astounding statistic in itself, or nearly 3 people for every 100,000 people in the country. And these are just the official figures. Considering the fact that many murders go unrecorded due to bureaucratic issues, this figure could be much higher. These are outright instances of murder, barring other reasons for unnatural deaths such as accidents or suicides.

Remember, this is not a completely impoverished nation, even though a large part of the population barely gets by. It is a rapidly developing nation, which has also immersed itself in technology, with the internet being a popular past time, as evidenced in 11 most popular websites in India in 2015. Maybe this can also explain why murder, even though still a major problem, has decreased as compared to the previous year. On the other hand, nearly every other crime has increased compared to the previous year, which is a startling fact as well, but maybe expected as the population continues to rise at a high rate.

Our article focuses on the murder rates in India as well as the reasons and motives behind the murders. We have used statistics provided by the National Crime Records Bureau and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and determining the primary 6 reasons why people kill each other in India.

6. Lunacy

Total deaths caused, either by murder or culpable homicide: 39

While relevant Lunacy Acts have been passed in the country as far back as the 1800s when British were still ruling the nation, the mentally deficient have never been given much priority. Mental deficiencies and illnesses are considered to be a sign of weakness on the part of the person and hence, have been hidden throughout the country, even by the literate and educated people. Many Indians believe that if they are associated with a mentally deficient person, it will hurt their stature and perception of other people. Hence, instead of getting them treated for the relevant disease, they are either locked up and hidden or in some extreme cases, even thrown out.

This is especially true for the homeless in India, which make a significant part of the population. And since nobody is watching those people, they are free to act as they please without being in control of their senses, which in turn has led to many murders which would otherwise have been avoidable.

5. Dowry

Total deaths caused, either by murder or culpable homicide: 1,414

Dowry is the practice of the bride’s family transferring a significant part of their wealth to the groom’s family. It is a tradition which is generally frowned upon in the West but has been considered to be an integral part of the marriage process in India for centuries, and even though some people are against the tradition, it is still practiced by a majority of the population.

Dowry has several drawbacks, with the bride’s family often being forced to take loans and accrue a debt in order to be able to pay the dowry. Furthermore, it is one of the leading causes of death in India as well. When a wife is unable to bring the amount of dowry promised, her in-laws or even her husband can often resort to killing the bride in revenge. Even where the women are not killed outright, acid attacks are a common form of revenge against the women failing to bring the demanded dowry.

4. Gain

Total deaths caused, either by murder or culpable homicide: 1,701

In India, a person’s status can often depend solely on his wealth. This is why greed is a common motive for murder in India. There are hundreds of cases in which children kill their parents in order to take over their property and there are plenty of cases where a person kills his or her spouse for the same reason as well.

3. Love Affairs/ Sexual Causes

Total deaths caused, either by murder or culpable homicide: 2,385

While India is still a traditional country in the sense that sex before marriage and dating are often considered unacceptable in society, love affairs/sexual causes are one of the leading reasons why people kill each other in India. This is due to a multitude of factors. Sometimes, a person kills the one he is having an affair with, in order to preserve his or her innocence and to cut off any association being made. In other cases, it is when two people who are having an affair realize they can’t be together and decide to kill themselves, or each other in murder-suicide bids.

2. Property dispute

Total deaths caused, either by murder or culpable homicide: 2,840

Property disputes are one of the main reasons behind the murder rate in India. This is generally due to the fact that in the country, one person can often build a house on a plot owned by another man. This can lead to altercations which in turn can often result in murder being committed.

1. Personal enmity/ vendetta

Total deaths caused, either by murder or culpable homicide: 3,497

The main reason why people kill each other in India is due to either personal enmity or vendetta. Pride is often all a man has, and he will do anything in order to salvage it if someone else damages it. Even minor incidents such as a minor traffic collision can end up in murder if the fighting escalates out of hand. Furthermore, family feuds are often passed down as well, which in turn can lead to generations of fighting.