Nagpur: Once a symbol of intimacy and trust, love is increasingly morphing into a motive for murder. A chilling wave of relationship-driven homicides has gripped Nagpur, revealing a disturbing trend: love, jealousy, and betrayal are turning fatal. The recent murder of Raja Raghuvanshi in Meghalaya, allegedly by his wife, echoes a pattern that’s becoming all too familiar in Nagpur’s crime blotter.
Crimes of passion: A growing pattern in Orange City
Gold Rate
13 June 2025
While police don’t officially categorize murders by relationship status, a review of recent cases shows a sharp rise in crimes fuelled by emotional breakdowns, jealousy, extramarital affairs, and unresolved rage.
Ragpicker slain over wife’s secret life
June 8. Agrasen Square. Tehsil Police: Anurag alias ‘Ghoda’ Borkar (33) was arrested just four hours after smashing a fellow ragpicker’s head and chest with a stone. His motive? The victim had allegedly been living with Borkar’s wife for three years. The betrayal proved fatal.
Wife’s ‘accidental death’ turns murder probe
May. Ekta Nagar. MIDC Police: What looked like a routine accidental death turned into a homicide investigation after a post-mortem revealed injuries consistent with suffocation and assault. Sheetal Mandpe (40) was allegedly murdered by her husband Johnson Mandpe, who is believed to have been involved in an extramarital relationship.
Love rejected, widow murdered at work
May 6. Gittikhadan Police: Akshay Date, in a fit of jealous rage, bludgeoned his girlfriend Hemlata Vaidya — a widow and mother — to death with a metal rod at her workplace. Her family’s refusal to accept the relationship, coupled with a suspicion over her interaction with another man, led to the brutal murder.
Daylight stabbing over illicit affair
April . Nandgiri Road: In a brazen midday attack, 32-year-old Shera was stabbed to death by Rajat alias Gitesh Uke — his wife’s alleged lover — and an accomplice. The killing was reportedly revenge for Shera discovering the affair and assaulting his wife.
GMCH Professor murdered by suspicious husband
Hudkeshwar, pre-meditated Killing: Dr. Archana Rahule, a respected physiotherapy professor at GMCH, was murdered in her home — allegedly by her husband Dr. Anil Rahule. The crime was plotted for two months with the help of his brother and a friend. Police suspect deep-rooted insecurity, resentment, and control issues as the motive.
Psychologists ring alarm bells: ‘Emotional fragility at all-time high’
Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Sudhir Bhave warns that today’s youth are more emotionally unstable than ever.
“Frustration tolerance is low, while entitlement is high. Rejection—be it romantic or financial—often leads to emotional outbursts, sometimes deadly,” he said. Social media, Bhave adds, has distorted people’s understanding of relationships and commitment, glorifying betrayal and unrealistic expectations.
Cops speak out: ‘No one escapes the law’
Joint Commissioner of Police Naveenchandra Reddy said societal pressure, cultural stigma, and fear of exposure often lead to impulsive, dangerous decisions.
“People think they can get away with it, but every crime leaves a trail. And our teams are trained to follow that trail.”
The bigger picture: Love, when twisted, can kill
Nagpur’s recent crime surge linked to romantic disputes is not an isolated phenomenon—it’s a mirror to a society where emotional volatility, mistrust, and digital manipulation are feeding into real-world tragedies.
The city’s law enforcement and mental health experts agree: if unchecked, this cocktail of passion and violence could turn even more explosive.
