2 weeks ago
Marital Discord, Mental Health and Child Killings in India
Several children in India have recently been killed in cases involving their parents.
Investigators have linked some of these incidents to arguments between husbands and wives.
In one Bengaluru case, a woman was accused of killing her husband and young son.
In another, a father allegedly attacked his two daughters in a hotel and then tried to hurt himself.
A Kanpur man was also accused of killing his twin daughters.
The children were innocent and could not cause the adults’ problems.
Experts say serious family stress and mental-health problems may be involved.
They also say many people do not receive professional mental-health care in time.
Several recent cases in Bengaluru and Kanpur involved parents allegedly killing their children amid marital disputes.
Harini was taken into custody after her husband Abhinandan and their four-year-old son were found murdered in Bengaluru.
A Bengaluru man allegedly strangled his two daughters at a hotel before attempting suicide; a note cited a prolonged marital dispute.
Medicine dealer Shashi Ranjan Mishra allegedly killed his 11-year-old twin daughters in Kanpur and was later arrested.
Experts highlighted India’s mental-health treatment gap, with family problems accounting for 34% of reported suicide cases.
- Who
- Parents or other family members were accused in cases involving the deaths of children, including Harini, a Bengaluru hotel guest, and Shashi Ranjan Mishra.
- What
- Several children were allegedly killed by parents amid marital discord, and some accused parents attempted or contemplated suicide.
- Where
- The incidents cited occurred in Bengaluru, Karnataka; Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh; and Goa.
- When
- The cases were reported over the last few months, including incidents earlier this month and in April; the report also references the 2023 case involving Suchana Seth.
- Why
- The report linked the alleged killings to marital disputes, suspected affairs, domestic distress, and possible mental-health problems.
Private Family Resolution
Professional Intervention
How domestic distress should be handled
Private Family Resolution
Domestic problems are often treated as private matters that spouses should resolve within the home.
Professional Intervention
Experts say families should seek professional help rather than attempting to manage severe distress alone.
Interpreting the incidents
Private Family Resolution
The cases are primarily presented through allegations of marital discord, suspected affairs, and disputes between spouses.
Professional Intervention
Mental-health concerns and India’s large treatment gap may also be important factors, although the report says there is insufficient evidence to show these incidents are rapidly increasing.
Key facts
- Family problems and suicides
- Family problems accounted for 34% of all suicide cases, according to the report.
- Mental-health treatment gap
- The Indian Psychiatric Society is cited as saying nearly 85% of people with mental-health disorders do not receive timely or appropriate care.
- Bengaluru double-murder case
- Harini was taken into custody after her husband Abhinandan and their four-year-old son were allegedly murdered.
- Bengaluru hotel case
- A 40-year-old man allegedly strangled his two daughters and then tried to slit his throat; hotel security rescued him.
- Kanpur case
- Medicine dealer Shashi Ranjan Mishra allegedly killed his 11-year-old twin daughters with a steel axe and was arrested.
- Earlier Goa case
- Suchana Seth was arrested two years ago after her four-year-old son was found smothered at a Goa resort.
Sources
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