Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
A STUDY conducted by Nagpur Law University (NLU) has shown declining trend in murder cases in the city in the last two decades. Interestingly, the study has found direct relation between murder cases and temperature. In cases reported from 2001 to 2020, the months of May, June and October have seen highest murders while the winter months of December and January have reported lowest murders.
The NLU conducted the micro analysis of body offences in the Second Capital on the request of Nagpur city police. The study revealed that in last 20 years, murder cases have shown declining trend in the city. As compared to 980 murders reported from 2001 to 2010, the city registered 901 cases from 2011 to 2020. It is worth mentioning here that Nagpur has witnessed 79 murders till October 21 this year.
Based on the data and micro analysis, the study has also projected that the year 2023 would witness around 75 murders in city.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar informed ‘The Hitavada’ that the analysis was necessary to ascertain the reasons behind body offences. “The analysis would help the police in taking measures accordingly to reduce body offences in the city,” he said.
Detailed analysis of murder cases shows that highest number of murders were reported in May, June and October months in the last two decades while December and January months reported lowest number of murder cases.
From 2001 to 2010, cumulative 92, 112 and 99 murders were reported in May, June and October, respectively. The trend continued in the next decade (2011 to 2020) with 95 murders in May, 93 in June and 81 murders in October months.
In January and December cumulative 63 and 68 murders were reported from 2001 to 2010 and the same reflected in next decade (2011 to 2020) as 54 murders reported in January and 64 in December months.
As per the study, the increase in murder cases was directly proportional to the temperature as the city witnesses high temperature in these months. December and January reported the lowest murders due to winter.
However, a section of senior police officers does not agree with the projected number of murders. Ex-CP of Nagpur Prabir Chakraborty said that there was no direct relation between crime and time. “If heat is taken as the reason behind body offences, then Jaisalmer, which is famous for high temperatures, should have the highest body offences in India,” he said.
“Along with the murder cases, the study needs to focus on the assault and attempt to murder cases reported in the past two decades, Chakraborty added.
Ex-Director General of Police and former Nagpur CP Pravin Dixit said that such study was conducted during the time of Britishers. “Impact of environment on human behaviour can be ascertained by studying patterns for a minimum 100 years. The City Police should study crime records of the past several decades before reaching to any conclusion,” he said.
“As liquor consumption is one of the reasons behind murders, police should study whether people consume liquor more in hot weather or winter,” Dixit added.
16 murders due to love affairs till Oct 2021
A TOTAL of 79 murders took place between January and October 21, 2021. Of them, love affairs and illicit relationship were reasons behind 16 murder cases. Disputes that triggered sudden rage was the reason behind 21 murders while old-rivalry led to 16 murders. Ten were killed in drunken brawls. There were 15 murders over monetary disputes. “Most of these cases were not preventable,” Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said.
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