The streets of Nagpur are witnessing a surge in violent altercations stemming from seemingly insignificant issues, leading to brutal murders. For instance, a State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) jawan took the life of an elderly man who had objected to the flashing of car headlights in Wathoda. In another part of the city, a man lost his life at the hands of a group of assailants during a dispute at the ‘Mahaprasad’ ceremony of Ganeshotsav. Recently, a man was brutally killed in broad daylight at a mutton shop by a bystander while trying to mediate a quarrel. The murders due to sudden provocations over petty issues have become a challenge for the Nagpur police officials. Shockingly, in the past ten months, Nagpur has seen as many as 33 murders committed over such petty reasons. According to the police officials, out of the 68 murders reported until October 2023, 33 were triggered by seemingly flimsy disputes.

 

A cyber police official pointed out that the portrayal of crime in television, social media and films has had a concerning influence on the behaviour of young generation. There has been a significant increase in the dissemination of ‘bhai’ content on social media in city areas in recent years. Over the past few years, Nagpurians are losing their control at the drop of hat like securing a parking spot, in a reaction to barking dogs, exchanging heated glares, asserting the first right to a Panipuri, or even denying access to mobile phones. So much so that, even confrontations involving threats with firearms have been reported for denying food at the end of service hours or when anyone refuses to lower the volume of music.

 

In a tragic incident, a youth took the life of his mother last week after she declined to provide money for the purchase of a smartphone. In another case, an 80-year-old woman met a gruesome end at the hands of her daughter-in-law, who slit her throat in Rana Pratap Nagar last month. In such situations, the force faces significant challenges in preventing such killings due to lack of primary intelligence. A recent case in Mominpura highlights this issue, where the police’s intelligence efforts failed to detect a well-planned murder executed with the use of a pistol. “We are trying our best to wean the youth away from crime. At the same time, strong action is being taken under MCOCA and MPDA to curb organised crime, and most of the main gangsters and gangs are now in jail due to strong and effective action taken by the City police,” said a top rank police official.