The murder of Ketan Agarwal in Pune has made many people question arranged marriages. On social media, everyone is asking the same thing: why would a woman, Siya Goyal, murder her fiancé instead of just calling off the wedding? Experts are now explaining the psychology behind such extreme steps.
Cases where an innocent person is killed because of a love triangle are on the rise. Someone loves one person but is forced to marry another. This often ends in a ‘honeymoon murder’. The recent killing of Ketan Agarwal in Pune has raised many such questions. Everyone is wondering why Siya Goyal, who was in love with someone else, didn’t just refuse the marriage. Why did she have to kill him?
What’s the reason behind the murder?
Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary were in love. But Siya’s marriage was fixed with Ketan. Unhappy with this, Siya allegedly plotted with her lover to murder Ketan. The question everyone is asking is, why couldn’t Siya just refuse to marry Ketan and marry Chetan instead? Psychologists have some answers.
Deep love and family pressure can lead to wrong decisions!
According to psychologist Dr. Binda Singh, there are several psychological and social reasons behind such incidents. “If a girl’s family doesn’t give her the freedom to speak her mind, she has no one to understand her feelings. That’s when she looks for a relationship outside,” she says. At home, she might feel suffocated and under constant pressure. Sometimes, this love can slowly turn into an obsession. In such a situation, the person feels like they have no other way out. Instead of understanding the difference between right and wrong, they make a rash decision. Dr. Singh also points out that social media and the virtual world are disconnecting people from real life. People get so lost in the world they create online that they can’t tell the difference between reality and fantasy. However, she cautions that we can’t draw any firm conclusions about an accused person’s mental state without a full investigation.
What does an Australian study say?
To understand such cases better, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) conducted a major study in 2020 on intimate partner homicides committed by women. The research was based on 115 cases involving female accused in Australia between 2004 and 2014. The study found that about 48% of these murders were premeditated. This means they weren’t committed in a fit of rage but were planned in advance. Some women attacked their partners while they were sleeping. Others got help from their lovers to carry out the murder. The research also revealed that most of these women had experienced long-term domestic violence, either mental or physical abuse. In some cases, the act was even in self-defence. So, it’s not right to view all cases in the same way.
Three types of cases involving female accused
According to the AIC report, cases with female accused can be broadly divided into three categories:
- Women who were victims of long-term domestic violence or abuse.
- Women who committed the crime due to conflicts, jealousy, or a breakup.
- Women who killed for financial reasons, a new love affair, or other personal motives.
The report also states that the methods used by female and male accused are often different. Women are more likely to use methods like getting help from a third person, using poison, attacking the partner during sleep, or following a pre-planned scheme. But it’s important not to judge all girls by the same standard.