Hyderabad: Mental instability the cause of honour killings

Hyderabad: The recent spurt in ordinary citizens taking the law into their own hands and committing violent, heinous crimes is a sign of a host of concerns ranging from mental health to vigilante justice. The Hyderabad city police say in such incidents of frontier justice the perpetrators claim they have committed the crime because the criminal-justice system has not delivered, but this is not the real reason. Social mores and outdated ways of thinking are the reason for many of these crimes.

Speaking specifically about the outrageous SR Nagar attack earlier this month where a man attempted to murder his own daughter and son-in-law, Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar said it is important that within the family, the bonding should be strong. 

“The father was enraged because his daughter did not tell him about the wedding,” Mr Kumar said. The individual will almost always experience excitement while doing the impulsive act, whatever it may be, said psychologist Priyanka Padhi, adding that afterwards, however, he or she is far more likely to experience regret and guilt. “Those who suffer from impulsive behaviour disorders will usually feel like they have no control.” Instant justice as sought by the public is no deterrent against crime, nor can it be justified, said Ramesh Yadav, a lawyer.

“When a crime takes place, three arms of the criminal justice system come into play: one, the police or law enforcers who investigate the case, second, the prosecution which presents the case in court, and third, the judiciary which examines the evidence on record and passes a sentence or otherwise,” he said.