Serial Killings in India: Case Studies and Profiling Strategies

Abstract

The phenomenon of serial killing was the basis of criminal profiling in the West, and till date, there exists extensive literature on serial killers of the West. Yet, there is very little scientific research in this area from the East or South East. This chapter therefore specifically focuses on the study of serial killers in India. A content analysis of media articles published in both print and online databases brought to light around one hundred incidents of serial killings reported in the last forty years in India. These numbers should be considered as a ‘tip of the iceberg’, if one takes into account the vast population of India and its significant differences in reporting of serial crime by the media. The analysis shows that there are frequent incidences of serial killings in most states, but research into this abysmal phenomenon is in its infancy in India. The chapter discusses certain key strategies of criminal psychology which have significant bearings on investigation of serial killing and adds to our understanding of serial killing as a concept based on the nature of multiple murderers in the Indian prisons. Findings from previous global literature lend some understanding of the types of serial killers, modus operandi, characteristics, and motivation for killing. This information is contextualized with three case studies on serial killers conducted in a first-of-its-kind study in India. The chapter further introspects the ill-preparedness of the Indian criminal justice system in dealing with serial killers and emphasizes the need to adequately equip itself in dealing with such cases in future.