Introduction:
India is witnessing a disturbing evolution in the nature of intimate crimes. Once predominantly marked by impulsive male aggression, we now see the rise of premeditated, calculated partner killings involving women as central perpetrators. The Meerut blue-drum murder and the Indore honeymoon killing—both reported in 2025—have shocked the conscience of the nation. These are not just criminal incidents; they are a mirror to a deeper socio-psychological crisis.
1. Two Crimes, One Pattern: The Cases That Shook India
Meerut: A Gruesome PartnershipIn March 2025, Muskan Rastogi, with her lover Sahil Shukla, drugged and murdered her husband Saurabh Rajput , dismembered his body, and stuffed the remains in a cement-filled drum. The act was not spontaneous but months in the making—Muskan trained with knives, was manipulated through emotional and even occult tactics, and fled with her partner while faking her husband’s social media activity.Indore: Honeymoon as a Homicide PlotIn a shockingly similar plot, newlywed Sonam Raghuvanshi arranged for three men to kill her husband Raja during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Motivated allegedly by an affair and unwillingness to continue the marriage, she planned the murder with surgical precision.
2. What Has Changed? From Heat of the Moment to Cold Strategy
These are not crimes of momentary rage. These are planned executions, sometimes involving weeks or months of preparation, digital manipulation, financial motives, and emotional coercion.
Premeditation Over Passion: There is a shift from spontaneous outbursts to calculated planning. Murder becomes a “solution” in the minds of emotionally detached individuals.
Digital Tools as Enablers: From Snapchat impersonations to social media facades, technology plays a dual role—both masking crime and deepening obsession.
Women as Perpetrators: The traditional narrative of women as victims of intimate partner violence is being challenged. While such violence against women remains a grave concern, we must also address when women become calculated aggressors.
3. Psychological Perspective: What Drives Such Acts?
a. Emotional Dysregulation and Narcissism
The inability to handle betrayal, rejection, or the lack of control in a relationship can push individuals—men or women—into psychopathic responses.
b. Loss of Identity and Escapism
In both cases, the perpetrators were trapped in socially taboo or unstable relationships. Rather than exit, they chose elimination—often fueled by feelings of hopelessness and entitlement.
c. Manipulation and Co-dependency
Muskan’s case reveals how deeply psychological manipulation can go—Sahil allegedly impersonated his dead mother to emotionally manipulate her. Co-dependency turned toxic, creating a shared psychosis (“folie à deux”).
4. Sociological Factors: Marriage, Pressure, and Society’s Role
Erosion of Trust and Communication: Modern relationships are increasingly fragile. Rapid urbanization, digital escapism, and reduced family oversight create a vacuum of trust.
Gender Role Transitions: As women gain empowerment, some traditional gender dynamics are being renegotiated. While this is largely positive, unresolved tensions can sometimes manifest in violence.
Normalization of Aggression: Violence, especially in media and relationships, is becoming normalized. Cinema, social media feuds, and even personal storytelling often glorify revenge over resolution.
5. Legal and Institutional Angle
Gaps in Preemptive Measures
There are laws like Section 498A IPC and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, but few mechanisms to detect escalating emotional or psychological abuse, especially when women are the perpetrators.
Digital Evidence & Cyber Policing
These cases highlight the need for advanced cyber forensic tools anddigital behavior tracking in domestic crime investigation.
Reform Recommendations
Mental Health Integration: Regular psychological screening and counseling in marriage registration or domestic courts.
Aggression Literacy: Introducing emotional intelligence modules in schools and colleges.
Police Training: Equip law enforcement with tools to identify psychological manipulation, not just physical violence.
6. Relevance for UPSC Aspirants
These cases offer material for essays, GS Paper II (governance and policy), and GS Paper IV (ethics).
Key takeaways:
The importance of empathy and emotional regulation.
The role of institutions in early intervention.
Balancing gender narratives in policy without reinforcing stereotypes.
Conclusion: Lessons from the Darkness
The Meerut and Indore cases are not outliers—they are symptoms. They reflect the collapse of communication, empathy, and emotional regulation in intimate spaces. The solution is not only stricter laws but stronger hearts and sharper minds—education in relationships, regulation of aggression, and social safety nets.For India to grow not just economically but morally and emotionally, we must raise not just skilled professionals—but emotionally conscious citizens.
Love is not war. And when it becomes one, we must ask: are we teaching our youth how to love—or only how to win?
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