Kerala amidst shocking murder rampage

A culprit out on bail horrifically hacking to death a 54-year-old man and his 75-year-old mother-in law in Palakkad’s Nenmara has shocked the entire state and sparked public outrage. Released on bail after four years in prison, Chenthamara—accused of murdering a housewife named Sajitha on August 31, 2019— has been threatening violating all bail conditions to harm her family. Although the families of the murdered and others complained against this man over issuing threats, the police let go of him after giving him a warning at the station yard. A witch doctor is reported to have convinced the accused that the family distanced themselves from him after Sajitha performed witchcraft. The accused, harbouring resentment in his mind throughout his time in prison, came on bail to take revenge on the woman’s family. It is shameful to see superstitious people, who take words of sorcerers and astrologers for scriptural diktat and commit heinous crimes, still alive in Kerala. Also Kerala cannot be proud of the police for their unforgivable lapse of not arresting and jailing the murderer, despite timely complaints from the children of the victims and the villagers. From past experience it is clear that nothing more than the Home Department taking some measures to quell public anger will happen. Police also know it. It remains to be seen, more than jailing the murderer if he has not committed suicide, whether the government will take strong measures to prevent such incidents from recurring, considering the seriousness of the problem.

The concern stems from the fact that similar incidents are not only recurring in Kerala but are also on the rise. A 75-year-old man in Payyanur, who was hit by his son on the head with a stick, died during treatment this January. The son, who was angry after his wife and children abandoned him over his father’s excessive drinking, pushed him to the jaws of death. On the same day, a 74-year-old man who was admitted to hospital after having beaten by his brother’s children, breathed his last in Kuttipurath. On January 19, a 24-year-old drug addict, raised by his wage labourer mother since he was age one, stabbed her to death inflicting 17 wounds. A young woman was found stabbed to death in Kadinamkulam on January 21. Last year, six people were killed and buried in Alappuzha. The print and visual media are on a daily basis celebrating such murders and brutal tortures. Where detective stories once regaled readers, now unravelling murder reporters in media excite them. The pressing issue is why this is happening and whether serious soul-searching is underway on why the government and police are unable to at least reduce their numbers.

First and foremost, we have to put in the dock our criminal investigation system and the police themselves; secondly, the socio-political pressures that create loopholes for criminals to escape. The judiciary, which causes inordinate delays in trying and handing deserving punishment to the accused even in heinous murders that shock the public conscience, cannot be given clean chit.Several factors including the massive shortage of security forces, the serious lack of training, the workload of the police, and nuances of arranging protection to the ministers and department heads during the constant clashes and protests, come in the way of maintaining law and order preventing crimes.The lack of public awareness is another factor that needs to be addressed. When discussions and debates in religious, political, and social circles become focused on mutual blaming and criticizing, new generation learns wrong lessons and follows bad examples. It cannot be ignored that the incredible growth of technology can do more harm than good. Holding up the copy of constitution and its preamble is not helpful. But public should be convinced of what it demands of them.