BENGALURU: Intimate partner homicides or murders committed by spouses or lovers are among the most disturbing crimes. Extra-marital affairs, property-related disputes, rejections, possessiveness, suspicion, ego issues, hasty decisions or fear of losing someone can twist love into anger, and are reasons attributed by police for such types of killings.
The murder of 68-year-old retired state police chief Om Prakash, a 1981-batch IPS officer, reportedly by his wife Pallavi on April 20, 2025, at their HSR Layout residence was one of the most brutal spouse killings Bengaluru has witnessed in recent times. The murder was over property related issues.
In a first for Bengaluru, Mahalakshmi (29) was cut into 59 pieces and stuffed inside the fridge by her lover Mukti Ranjan Pratap Ray at her Vyalikaval house on September 21, 2024. In this case, Ray was unable to digest Mahalakshmi’s frequent fights and pressure for marriage, and killed her. He later died by suicide at a graveyard near his house in Dishuri police limits in Bhadrak district of Odisha.
Both these murders were among the 803 murders in the state till August 31, 2025. According to crime statistics of the Karnataka State Police, almost one in every five or six murders reported in the state is reportedly committed either by the spouse or lover.
Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Ramesh Banoth said the family fabric is fraying due to various reasons. Earlier, husband and wife, or lovers used to spend quality time with each other. Now even when a husband and wife sit with each other, both are busy on their mobile phones. Concern or affection towards each other seems to be missing. People are getting diverted and attracted to other things, and happiness in the family is slightly declining. The police department has NGOs to counsel and help them. Inspectors and senior police officers also counsel those facing a problem.
Senior advocate MS Shyamsundar said a majority of such killings is due to extreme aggression. The root cause is ‘expectations’, which are not met. Extreme anger is the main reason for such killings, like indigestion of a spouse’s audacity to retaliate. People can accept disobedience, but not by their spouses or lovers. The law cannot control such crimes, they have to be controlled by social behaviour. During the heat of anger, knowledge of law does not help. There has to be more responsibility while choosing partners and a thorough understanding of each other.
During earlier generations, spouses would never retaliate. Our country requires more psychologists than lawyers; even today, consulting a psychologist is looked at as a solution for the mentally deranged. If the government wants to control such crimes, it should recruit psychologists at all primary health centres and workplaces. There should be a congenial work atmosphere, and the government should take proactive steps.
Retired SP SK Umesh said disturbed couples require counselling at the preliminary stage. They should be educated with examples and consequences, and told that their children will suffer. When the matter reaches the police station, police officers must counsel such persons.
Even at the college level, they can educate students about such crimes, as students listen only to police officers. Moreover, quality time must be spent with the partner so there is no misunderstanding. Partners must respect each other, and if relationships become dysfunctional, partners must walk out instead of killing and ruining lives.