Chennai
The impact of affairs and adultery on family members has been identified as one of the main causes behind a spate of gruesome murders and attacks in the city. Strained relationships stemming from openness with which the married men and women engage in affairs have resulted in such crimes of passion.
Exclusive statistics available with DTNext show that the percentage of such crimes reported in the city had been steadily increasing. In 2014, Chennai city recorded a total of 141 murders, out of which 90 cases were traced to illicit and extramarital affairs, accounting for around 65 percent of the total number of murders. In 2015, there have been 129 murders as per the records of the city police as on date, out of which a staggering 91 crimes have been attributed to matters of the heart.
Chennai city alone has recorded 65 murders till July 2016, out of which 50 murders were a result of complicated extramarital relationships. Sources in the All Woman Police also confirm that most of the complaints they get are family issues triggered by affairs committed by either of the partners. In many cases, police try to counsel the couple but often family members end up committing violent crimes against their spouses.
Police say that a recent and disturbing trend is when the woman attempts to harm both her husband and children, in order to be able to live with her lover. “There has been a tremendous change in society and women are no longer the self-sacrificing homebodies they once were. They are now giving in to their needs and desires by eliminating what they consider as obstacles to their happiness. Society was once male-dominated where women were on the receiving of illicit affairs, but now the situation has changed. They are equally responsible for breaking up homes and families and don’t shy away from criminal activities,” a senior police official said.
The officer added that fear of rejection and being abandoned also contributes to the violence. “Many women silently suffer and endure their husband’s affairs, reacting only when the partner turns violent or abusive. Men on the other hand, get violent the minute their learn their wife has been unfaithful.” Financial independence and better exposure to the outside world have also emboldened people to break away from the stereotypical family set-ups and openly admit to affairs.
Quite a few persons prefer to break out of unhappy relationships and to move ahead in life with persons they love. “When a wife admits to having an affair, it hurts the male ego, and at the same time, women turn violent when men refuse to let them go. We believe such crimes are only going to go up as the city grows,” the officer added.
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