HYDERABAD: The infamous butcher of Shabad, P Rajkumar, killed his wife, two sons and three others before ending his own life. Was it mental illness? Experts say no. Psychiatrists argue the 35-year-old’s actions reflected entrenched antisocial personality traits shaped by childhood experiences, learned behaviour, a profound lack of empathy and a vengeful mindset. They also say India’s criminal justice system remains ill-equipped to identify or rehabilitate such offenders.
Consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Purnima Nagaraja said people who sexually abuse children often have severe deficits in empathy and inhibitory control. “They don’t have the parental response. They have only a sexual response when they see children,” she said, explaining that such offenders fail to respond to a child’s suffering the way most people naturally would. Many, she added, display antisocial or psychopathic traits and struggle to form healthy adult relationships.
Referring to the case, Dr Purnima said the murders appeared to be driven by revenge after the accused was caught. “He got caught and came out with a vendetta... ‘How dare you complain about me?’ may have been his mindset,” she said, adding that the killing of his wife and two children reflected “a stark lack of empathy”, not a momentary emotional outburst.
Child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Manchala Hrishikesh Giri Prasad, who has researched juvenile offenders, said such crimes rarely stem from a single factor. “It’s more like an antisocial personality. Childhood, family, genetics, environment, rejection — everything makes up the mind,” he said.
He said poverty, dysfunctional families, substance abuse and repeated childhood adversity can increase the risk of persistent criminal behaviour, while stressing that these factors explain risk, not criminal acts.
Dr Hrishikesh said identifying offenders who may reoffend after release remains a major challenge. “These people look calm from outside. They don’t have remorse. They don’t feel guilt... That’s why they look normal,” he said. Since many show no obvious signs, predicting future violence is difficult unless clear warning signs emerge.
‘Only counselling won’t help’
Both experts agreed counselling alone is insufficient.
Dr Purnima said rehabilitation requires “extensive counselling, extensive psychotherapy, maybe medication in some cases”, along with behavioural therapy, accountability and long-term monitoring. “The first thing is you have to inculcate insight. If people don’t have insight, they think they’re doing the right thing,” she said.
Dr Hrishikesh suggested India consider specialised psychological risk assessments and closer post-release monitoring of convicted sexual offenders, as practised in some Western countries, to help identify repeat offenders without encouraging vigilantism.
The experts also said prevention must extend beyond punishment. Dr Purnima called for greater awareness of online grooming, consent and signs of abuse. “We need to talk about grooming... not just good touch and bad touch,” she said, adding that fear of stigma and retaliation continues to discourage many families from reporting child sexual abuse despite safeguards under the POCSO Act.
‘Violence should not be equated with mental illness’
The experts cautioned against equating violent crime with mental illness, noting that most people with mental health conditions are not violent. They said the Shabad case is more consistent with entrenched antisocial behaviour, revenge and a profound lack of empathy than mental illness. Stronger psychological assessment, structured rehabilitation and sustained public awareness, they argued, must complement legal action to reduce the risk of such crimes recurring.