The horrific killing of young girls by ‘jilted lovers’ has emerged as a new menace facing the state of Karnataka. When the perpetrator and the victim belong to different religious groups, communal elements often exacerbate the situation. Conversely, silence prevails when the parties involved are from the same caste, sidelining moral issues and diminishing the relevance of law and order.
A recent tragic incident involved 20-year-old Anjali Ambigera, who was allegedly stabbed to death by her neighbor Girish Sawant (23) for rejecting his love proposal on May 15. The crime was committed in the presence of the victim’s grandmother and two sisters. Girish reportedly dragged Anjali all over the house, kicking and stabbing her, before pushing her into the kitchen where he continued his brutal attack.
This incident closely followed the murder of Neha Hiremath. The accused had previously threatened Neha, warning her that she would meet the same fate as another young woman, who was brutally stabbed to death on a college campus in Hubballi on April 18.
A clear vertical division in societal response along communal lines is evident in these condemnable incidents. Since Neha Hiremath’s attacker, Fayaz Khodunaik, was a Muslim, there were widespread protests across the state, and the spectre of ‘love jihad’ was raised once again. However, in Anjali Ambigera’s case, the criticism was directed at the failure of law and order.
In many other cases of murders over love affairs, societal responses have prominently differed. In Kodagu on May 9, a gruesome incident occurred where a 16-year-old girl celebrating her successful class 10th board exam results was decapitated by a 32-year-old man, Prakash, to whom she was engaged. Both belonged to the same religious group from Surlabi near Kumbaragadige village. The family had agreed to delay the marriage due to the girl’s minor status, which infuriated Prakash, leading to the horrific crime.
Similarly, Ruksana (21) was murdered and her body burned by Pradeep Nayak (31). Already married, Pradeep had entered into a relationship with Ruksana under the pretext of marrying her and even had a child with her. When Ruksana insisted on marriage, Pradeep killed her and burned her body near Tumkuru on April 14.
On March 1, 2023, a jilted lover murdered 25-year-old Leela Pavitha Nalamati by stabbing her multiple times outside her office in Murgeshpalya, Bengaluru. The police arrested Dinakar Banala (28), who was also from Andhra Pradesh.
At the end of March, Girish of Bengaluru stabbed Farida Khatoon to death in a public place after she turned down his marriage proposal. Girish had converted to Islam and changed his name to Rehan Ahmed but reverted to Girish to facilitate his sister’s marriage.
A week earlier, T. Suresh stabbed his former girlfriend Anusha in a park in JP Nagar, Bengaluru. Anusha had previously complained to the police, who released Suresh after he gave a written undertaking. Anusha’s mother, who witnessed the murder, retaliated by hitting Suresh with a brick, leading to his death.
In February, Deepa from Chikkaballapur was missing for five days before her decomposed body was found in a rented house. The police suspect her boyfriend’s involvement.
In another February incident, Shrinivas killed 18-year-old paramedical student Shivaleela in Bidar after stalking her for several months.
In November 2023, Praveen Arun Chougule, an airline employee, killed his Muslim colleague Ainaz and three members of her family in Dakshina Kannada district.
In the recent past, Bengaluru has witnessed several instances of men killing women they felt entitled to, including the caste-based murder of a Dalit woman in March 2022. Shivakumar Hirehala attacked his girlfriend Daneshwari and set her on fire after arguing over her parents’ refusal to accept their marriage. Shivakumar is a Lingayat.
In July 2022, Bhojaraj Basavaraj killed and beheaded his former girlfriend in Vijayanagar district after their breakup.
There have been numerous instances of men attacking their current or former partners with weapons. In December 2020, Ismail attacked his former girlfriend Asha D. Agasara with a machete in the middle of a road in Hubballi because she was in a relationship with someone else.
In February 2019, a woman in Hassan district was attacked with a machete for rejecting a man and marrying a Muslim.
In April 2022, a stalker attacked a woman with acid in Bengaluru, causing 30% burns. He had harassed her for months, asking her to marry him.
These incidents highlight a mindset issue where men violently respond to rejection, reflecting a sense of entitlement nurtured by patriarchal beliefs. The combination of crime and communalism has twisted what is purely a human issue. Psychologists attribute the spread of this menace to undue publicity in the media and crime-exhibiting films. The film industry argues that it merely reflects societal happenings.
The issue is complex. The moral shock absorbers of society have weakened, and the government and police are more focused on law and order than on educating people and strengthening societal morality. Religious leaders and organizations should go the extra mile to address this menace.