LOVE IS A POTENT KILLER!

DEADLY In 2013, 298 murders in Uttar Pradesh were driven by love affairs, say NCRB figures

LUCKNOW: Love makes life worth living, but if the latest crime statistics are anything to go by, it has emerged as the most potent killer in UP. In 2013, the state witnessed 298 murders driven by love affairs - the single largest cause of murders. According to the NCRB data for 2013, if love affairs and sexual causes were behind 298 murders, personal vendetta and property disputes were reasons for 202 and 147 murders respectively.

LUCKNOW: Love makes life worth living, but if the latest crime statistics are anything to go by, it has emerged as the most potent killer in Uttar Pradesh. In 2013, the state witnessed 298 murders that were driven by love affairs - the singlelargest motive for the killings.

According to the data for 2013 released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), if love affairs and sexual causes led to 298 murders, personal vendetta and property disputes were reasons for 202 and 147 murders respectively. Besides, monetary/professional gains were behind 118 murders in the state. However, the remaining 4,400 murders in the state in 2013 were because of other reasons, according to the statistics.

Incidentally, UP has constantly remained on the second position after Andhra Pradesh in terms of murders due to love affairs since 2009.

While 325 of such murders took place in 2012, the number was 318 in 2011, 282 in 2010 and 314 in 2009. “The trend is alarming. To curb such incidents parents need to sensitise youngsters, especially young girls who frequently become victims to one-sided love affairs,

UP ALSO TOPPED THE MURDER CHART WITH AT LEAST 5,047 MURDERS IN 2013, FOLLOWED BY BIHAR, MAHARASHTRA, AP AND W. BENGAL

so that they do not fall victim to wicked designs of culprits,” said Ashutosh Pandey, inspector general of police.

A trend of murders driven by one-sided love affairs was also revealed during a survey conducted by the IG during his posting as DIG Lucknow in 2012. It was found that at least 33% of murders in the state capital between January and June 2012 were the fallout of love affairs and sexual causes. He is currently posted as IG of Kanpur Zone.

At the national level, love affairs were the third-largest single motive for murders in 2013 with as many as 2,369 murders over love affairs. Additionally, the data revealed that UP also topped the murder chart with at least 5,047 people killed in 2013, followed by Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal accounting for 3441, 2512, 2484 and 2264 murders respectively in 2013.