Recent findings in Delhi rape-murder case with hints of necrophilia have shocked the nation. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time India has witnessed such heinous crimes.
Let us have a look at some of the most gruesome and heinous murders that shocked the country.
1. Â 1968 Mumbai bludgeoning case. About 20 people were bludgeoned to death
When:Â 1968
Where: Mumbai.
Victim(s): 23+ pavement and hutment dwellers who used to sleep out in the open
Mode of operation: Bludgeoning with a heavy object
Prime suspect(s) : Raman Raghav or “Psycho” Raman, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. He eventually died in 1995 due to kidney trouble.
2. Mumbai & Calcutta ‘Stoneman’ murders -case is yet unsolved
When: 1985 Mumbai killings & 1989 Calcutta
Where: Mumbai and Some years later in Calcutta. Although there is no evidence that these 2 incidences were connected but there is a striking similarity in the mode of operation and choice of victims.
Victim(s): 12+ victims in Mumbai and 23+ in Calcutta , homeless ragpickers and beggars who used to sleep out
Mode of operation: Victim’s head was crushed with a heavy stone
Prime suspect(s) : Both of these cases are still unsolved and remain the greatest unsolved mysteries.
3. Naina Sharma murder case- Body was disposed off in a tandoor
When: July 1995
Where: Delhi
Victim(s): 1 (Naina Sahni, Wife of Sushil Sharma)
Mode of operation : Victim was fatally shot. Later the body was chopped and put into a tandoor to dispose.
Prime suspect(s) : Sushil Sharma, a congress youth leader and MLA was convicted and awarded life imprisonment by the Supreme court.
4. Â ‘Baby Serial Killer’ – who killed by slitting throats of young boys and girls
When: 2004
Where: Jalandhar, Punjab
Victim(s):Â Around 23 children below age of 10. Main targets were children of migrant labourers.
Mode of operation: Slitting of throats. He allegedly raped and sodomized the dead bodies.
Prime suspect(s) : Darbara Singh, the main suspect was convicted for 2 of the murders. He is currently serving life sentence and some the cases are pending trial.
5. Serial killer who use to eat in the same room as the corpses of his victims
Date : Â 1998-2007
Where it happened : Delhi
Victims :Â 6 (Most of whom were his associates).Victims were young men from neighboring states who Jha helped in getting jobs.
Mode of operation : Strangulation. After killing the bodies were dismembered and scattered in different parts of the city.
Prime suspect(s) : Chandrakant Jha, convicted in 3 cases.
6. Â The guy who hunted middle aged men and returned to have a peaceful sleep
When : 2002
Where : Fursatganj, Uttar Pradesh
Victim(s) : 22 middle aged men
Mode of operation : Victims were shot with gun pressed close to the chest to muffle the noise. Sahu allegedly confessed that he was overpowered by the “urge” to kill and after killing he would return to his home and have a very “peaceful” sleep.
Prime suspect(s) : Sadashiv Sahu was arrested as the prime suspect. His current status is unknown.
7. Nithari Killings- Ghastly discoveries of rape & murder
When : 2005-2006
Where : Noida
Victim(s) : 17 sets of skulls and bones were retrieved. Most of them were children.
Mode of operation : Strangling and dismemberment. The victim’s heads were severed and and thrown into the drainage behind the house in which killings took place.
Prime suspect(s) : Domestic help Surinder Koli has been convicted of 5 murders and sentenced to death which was later turned in to life imprisonment. The owner of the house in which the incidents allegedly took place, Moninder Singh Pandher is facing trial in 5 of the remaining 12 cases.
8. Beer man murder cases, left beer bottles besides victim’s bodies
When : 2006-2007
Where : South Mumbai
Victim(s) : 7
Mode of operation : Not much is known about beer man murders apart from the fact that a beer bottle was found besides each body.
Prime suspect(s) : A man named Ravindra Kantrole was arrested in connection with a murder similar to that of Beer man’s. He was eventually acquitted by Bombay High Court due to lack of evidence. The rest of the cases are still a mystery.
9. Aarushi Talwar murder case
When : 15-16 May, 2008
Where : Noida
Victim(s) : 2 (14 yr old Aarushi Talwar & 45 yr. old Hemraj Banjade)
Mode of operation : Blunt injury to the head and slitting of the throat.
Prime suspect(s) :Â Aarushi’s parents Rajesh & Nupur Talwar were convicted by special CBI court and awarded them life sentences, the couple have challenged the decision in Allahabad High Court.
10. Neeraj Grover murder case- corpse was cut into many pieces and burnt
When : May 2008
Where : Mumbai
Victim(s) : 1 (Neeraj Grover, a television executive)
Mode of operation : Victim was stabbed with a knife. The body was cut into several pieces and then was burned to destroy evidence.
Prime suspect(s) : Jerome Mathew (boyfriend of Maria) was convicted of culpable homicide and destroying evidence. Maria Susairaj was found guilty of destroying evidence and was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment.
11. Cyanide Mohan- who used to poison women after marrying them and then abscond with their jewellery
When : 2006-2011
Where : Mangalore
Victim(s) : 20 women.
Mode of operation : The victims were lured into marriage and then poisoned by cyanide pills, then were robbed.
Prime suspect(s) : Mohan Kumar or ‘Cyanide’ Mohan was convicted of killing 20 women and was sentenced to death in December,2013.
12. Delhi rape case 2012 -Crime that shook the whole country
When : 16 December, 2012
Where: South Delhi
Victim(s) : Nirbhaya
Mode of operation : The victim was raped and was penetrated with iron rod, which caused severe damage to her inner organs
Prime suspect(s) : 6 suspects Ram Singh, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma & a juvenile suspect were arrested by the police. One suspect Ram Singh died in police custody while remaining 4 adult suspects were convicted and awarded the death sentence. The juvenile was also convicted and awarded 3 years imprisonment in a reform facility.
13. 2013 Kamduni Rape & murder case – 20 yr old college student brutally gang raped and murdered
When : 2013
Where : Kamduni, near Kolkata
Victim(s) : 1 (Female)
Mode of operation : The victim was raped and murdered by 9 men, they tore her legs apart upto her navel, her throat was slit and body was dumped in the nearby field
Prime suspect(s)Â : Ansar Ali, the prime suspect was help by villagers and handed over to the police. Police have made a few more arrests based on his statements. Â The court trial and proceedings are still underway for the case.
14. Latest Delhi serial rapist/murder case – Children murdered and their corpses sexually assaulted
When : 2015
Where : New Delhi
Victim(s) : 15+Â Little children aged between 2 -12
Mode of operation : Strangulation
Prime suspect(s)Â : Ravinder Kumar, the alleged serial rapist-murderer was recently arrested from Delhi. He has allegedly confessed to the crimes. The proceedings are still going on.
It is deeply disturbing to know that human beings are capable of committing this level of barbaric acts. We just hope that perpetrators face suitable punishment for their heinous acts so that the families of the victims might get a little bit of relief.