Visakhapatnam: Spurt in crimes creates sense of disquiet, uneasiness

Visakhapatnam: Unable to bear the harassment any longer, a mother allegedly killed her son by wielding an LPG cylinder and hitting him at Marikavalasa.

At Malkapuram, a father exploited his minor daughter and raped her several times before impregnating her.

In another gruesome incident, suspecting fidelity, a husband tried to pour acid on his wife. When their daughter tried to stop him from doing so, the acid spilled on both mother and daughter.

On Saturday, an Intermediate student died due to excessive bleeding as her friend had slit her throat right in the middle of the road at Gajuwaka.

All these incidents, mirroring the absence of humanity, happened in Visakhapatnam in the last one week. Though the crimes thus committed are impulsive, in each case, there's an element of 'love' attached between the predator and the victim at some point of time.

Unfortunately, despite the presence of laws and the introduction of new ones to protect women against atrocities, instances of crime continue to make their presence felt.

On October 25, Madhavi residing at JNNURM Colony, Marikavalasa, killed her son Anil in a bid to put an end to the harassment he made her go through.

In another horrifying incident, the Class IX girl did not realise that she was pregnant until she reached the fifth month and developed an abdomen pain. In order to satiate his sexual pangs, a man and a resident of Malkapuram, raped his elder daughter over a period of time and impregnated her. She is now under medical supervision.

A resident of Shivajipalam, Eswara Rao, tried to pour acid on his wife Devi suspecting fidelity. However, when their daughter tried to stop his father from proceeding further, the acid spilled over on both mother and daughter, injuring them.

Very recently, Akhil Sai attacked Varalakshmi by slitting her throat at Sundarayya Colony in Gajuwaka. Unfortunately, Varalakshmi succumbed to the injuries after her throat had been slit.

Visakhapatnam is known to be a peaceful city. But the growing crime rate in the recent past makes one wonder whether the denizens are safe or not.

Explaining about the mindset of the predators, psychiatrist at Government Hospital for Mental Care S Nagaraju says, "Aggressive behaviour is quite common among people who are used to substance abuse. They fall under risk taking behaviour category and generally lack moral values. Their thoughts are often different and they can stoop to any extent if the other person opposes their motives. In a fit of rage, they will not hesitate even to kill."

As the once 'dear friends' and family members essay the role of predators, 'hatred' is certainly labelled as the motive behind the crimes committed. The recent incidents not only trigger an alarm but also send a sense of disquiet among denizens.