Mass Murders in India: An Exploratory Study on the Trends and Patterns

Abstract

Existing research on mass murders is limited to Western countries like the United States, Europe, and Australia. Although there exists some research in Asian countries, there is an absolute absence of mass murder studies in India. The study adopts a descriptive design with an exploratory approach to bridge this gap in understanding mass murders in India. This study analyzes 220 incidents of mass murders in India from 2000 to 2022, focusing on trends, geographical details, victim-offender profiles, crime characteristics, post-murder behaviors, and contributing factors. While most of the study findings aligned with past research, some variables showed contrasting results. Some variables of the victim-offender profile, crime scene characteristics, and contributing factors showed similar results to past studies. In contrast, information on weapon types and post-murder behavior of the offenders showed striking differences. The unique cultural context of India also gave rise to some new variables that past researchers never examined.