Chennai, April 27: Love kills-and the Tamil Nadu police have evidence to prove that. The number of murders under the head 'lust and love affairs' has seen the biggest increase of 123% in last three years, from 155 in 2008 to 347 in 2011. While in the same period, the number of murders increased by only about 7%.
According to police figures, family quarrels (440) and personal enmity (421) topped the list of reasons for murders in 2011. Caste motives (2) and political reasons (3) are at the bottom.
Many blame the "lack of morals and values in society" for this. "Even schools are not teaching moral science as a subject. They are focusing on computers. Students are learning all things apart from morals and values," says S Chandrabasu, retired superintendent of police (CB-CID).
"The law should be made more stringent, so that it will act as a deterrent," he says.
Love affairs gone wrong have been among the main motives for murder in cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Madurai, say police.
Others say the presence of a large number of women at the workplace is leading to an increase in illicit affairs. "Women are spending more time at work than at home. They are more opportunities for men and women to mingle, increasing the chances of illicit affairs developing," says Preethi Manohar, counsellor at Suryah Hospital in Vadapalani.
"Many people are developing relationships at the workplace. Intrusion of western culture also plays a role. Live-in relationships have become very common. About 60% of the complaints I deal with are related to love affairs," says Manohar.
The pattern suggests some connection with urbanization but there is no simple explanation.
The number of murder cases in the state has increased by 37.12% in the past five years, police figures say. At least 1,274 murders were reported across the state in 2006. In 2011, it increased to 1,747.
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