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Why Did Indrani Kill Daughter?:PERSONALITY DISORDER OR MONETARY GAIN? By Dhurjati Mukherjee Print E-mail

Open Forum

New Delhi, 9 September 2015

Why Did Indrani Kill Daughter?

PERSONALITY DISORDER OR MONETARY GAIN?

By Dhurjati Mukherjee

All eyes are riveted on the former CEO of INX media Indrani Mukherjee who has been accused of murdering her first daughter Sheena in April 2012. Married to ex-Star India CEO Peter Mukherjee, the killing was inadvertently brought to light late last month when her co-accomplice, her driver was arrested for possession of an illegal pistol who spilled the beans about the brutal murder.

Indrani was then rounded up by the Mumbai Police wherein she confessed that Sheena was indeed her daughter from her first live-in relationship and not sister as she had proclaimed to the world. To hide her pregnancy, her parents in Gauhati had adopted Sheena. She also added admitted that her co-partner in crime was her second husband Sanjeev Khanna based in Kolkata. According to the Mumbai police Indrani is proving to be a tough nut to crack and continues to parrot that Sheena is in the US.

Questions abound. Did Indrani kill Sheena for monetary gain as she was the benami holder of her mother’s money? Or was it because her daughter wanted to marry Peter’s son from his first wife?

Undeniably, it does seem unfathomable that a mother could kill her own daughter but various psychologists admit that there is reason behind the madness of a parent killing their children. According to them murder is as old as history and various studies have tried to understand the psychological causes of such an inhuman act. As the Indrani-Mukherjee-Sheena Bora and Arushi Talwar killings underscores India has many instances of parents murdering their  children, which reveal not only the worst kind of aggression but also great confidence to murder his or her own kid, cut the body and bury or burn it elsewhere.    

True, many believe that with the spread of education, society has become more cultured and dignified. But the prevalence of cases like these prove that a human being can do anything and everything for his or her own interest, be it power, status or money. The spread of materialist culture read greed for more can induce an individual to go to any extent.

Some analysts believe that murder of children or filicide is not rare as civilized society think as there are scattered incidents across the globe. In India there are innumerable instances a girl child being killed as the parents/family want a boy or khaps/ parents who murder a couple belonging to the same gotra.  

Experts categorize filicide in three sections: Neonaticide when a child is killed within a day of being born, infanticide when the murder happens within a year and filicide when the child is over a year old. Female infanticide is most common in our country given parents craving for a boy.

It is generally believed that mothers have great emotional bonds with her children which cannot be broken. Though this might be the norm, psychologists argue that when one’s ambitions and/or greed take an upper hand, a mother might not hesitate to sacrifice her own children.

Notably, personal interests have become more important in one’s life than emotions, understanding, affection and duty towards the family. The complexities of life as seen in the Indrani-Sheena case, wherein she was hungry for more status and ambition to reach the top, sacrificing her daughter to achieve her objectives is quite simple. This is classically the best manifestation of a crude materialistic attitude in an individual, very different from our culture and values.               

Clearly, the increase of such cases reveals lack of education and that western influence has pervaded our society. Aggression and violence, seen in politics has now permeated our social life in a big way. The manifestation of violence in our societal life for something material comes from a criminal instinct. Obviously, the all-round effects of greed, jealousy and violence have combined to take away the human element from an individual.                

Psychologically speaking, a majority who kill their children suffer from a form of diagnosable mental illness which has been untreated. Not a few who might be economically underprivileged. Another reason is mothers who have chronic depression turn against their children. A continuous feeling of insufficiency and unexpected anger could build up over time and find expression in extreme action --- killing one’s children.

According to Ohio Wright State University’s psychologist, mothers who kill their children tend to fall into five categories: Kill a new born, murder through abuse, battered or coerced by a partner, murder purposely and slaughter through neglect. Further, women who kill with a purpose might have suffered some major loss, thereby becoming ruthless and are prone to murdering with a gun or knife.

Psychologists also identify stress of a nuclear family set-up coupled with extreme self-aggrandisement as factors which turn some women towards violence. It has been found that in most cases of extreme violence and aggression leading to physical harm, the mother might have a severe personality disorder.             

Indeed, world-wide murders and suicides are increasing rapidly even as various justifications are doled out for the same. Undoubtedly, this is a very unhealthy trend in our social life. But a section of academics doubt this as they feel social life would wither away as people are becoming increasingly self-centred, sans any feeling for the community and society at large.            

Besides, the education syllabus and lack of cultural values of love, affection and fellow-feeling have not been properly inculcated in an individual. Today’s young generation is a disgruntled lot, dissatisfied with what they have and extremely jealous of those who earn more. Moreover, there is very little happiness in most families which could be attributed to material well-being and prosperity.             

Importantly, a woman’s nature is more complicated than a male’s which results in her having a higher tendency of greed and jealousy. Be she an urban educated woman or from a rural background.

Furthermore, mothers are normally closer to their sons while fathers veer towards their daughters. But as the Indrani case highlights she allegedly murdered her daughter as also trying to poison her son. However, sleuths aver that money power might have been a big factor.             

Undeniably, the ex-media czar had little love lost for either of her children and tried to portray herself as Mumbai’s well-known socialite. This sort of attitude is called borderline personality disorder, a condition marked by impulsive behavior and instability of moods and emotions.

Indrani demonstrated this attitude in achieving her objective of reaching the top of the ladder by hook or by crook. Additionally, her three marriages and multiple physical relationships were done for fulfilling her ambitions. According to a clinical and forensic psychologist people with this condition initially appear to be good but quickly develop intense anger to achieve their objective. ----INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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