WRITTEN UPDATE - 16th January 2013

Savdhaan India, January 16, 2013

Between 2004 and 2005, five young girls had been brutally violated and murdered in a particular village. The police had actually caught the alleged culprit and jailed him. The case of the serial killer had apparently been solved. A year later, a fresh crime is committed. Kusum goes missing, and eventually her violated body is found, covered in a pile of hay. The modus operandi is the same as was of the previous cases, the young girl is smothered with a rag shoved into her mouth, she suffocates, she is molested, and then butchered with a knife. Kusum too had been molested, and her life slit out of her body. The entire village is up in arms and questions the police. The villagers choose to be alert, to keep a watch in groups. They have no idea what they are up against. For a while everything seems under control, till a week later. As a mother and daughter walk to the well in broad daylight, they are stalked. In the most startling manner, young munni, as she stood beside her mother, vanishes. She is found later, brutalized in the same gruesome manner.

Billoo, and apparently insane man, becomes a suspect and is caught by the police. Mr Mohnish Bahl cautions, Billoo was caught but danger still lurked. Rupesh's father has an uneasy feeling about his son's behaviour, about the red cloth he twirls in his hands. A month later, the horror is repeated as yet another young girl is brutalized and murdered. Now Rupesh's father, questions his son. He sees the fresh cut on his forehead and fears the worst about him. He knows something is amiss. And sure enough we see Rupesh surreptitiously watching and stalking yet another young girl. He makes an excuse, walks into the house after the unsuspecting girl, smothers the girl with a piece of cloth stuffed in her mouth. She comes around barely enough to see her persecutor but alas is unable to save herself as he plunges his knife into her.

Rupesh had by now killed 8 girls, 6 of them were minors. Two of them were raped, while the others had been molested. The father suspects his son, but he has no proof. The police points out that the murderer is from the same village, that he is a psychopath, who somehow managed to rape only two of the girls. Possibly he was unable to satisfy his lustful intent and that made him an unstable and violently dangerous perpetrator of the heinous crimes.

Inspector Raina analyses the case, a left-handed, young man, who is possibly unmarried, who is unbalanced, and who must have been away from the village for about a year as there had been no such crime in that period. He warns everyone to observe and bring any such man for questioning. Rupesh's father brings his son for questioning. Raina cautions the father to keep an eye on his son.

Mohnish Bahl cautions of the horror linked with a psychopathic serial killer. The criminal gets hardened after he commits crimes and gets away with them. His obsession becomes an addiction, and he restlessly pursues his victims. The criminal derives a Machiavellian pleasure from his crimes. Such is the danger linked with a deranged criminal. Rupesh identifies his next hapless victim, young Babita. He stalks and watches her, and finally catches up with her alone in the wilderness of the forest. In the nick of time Babita's father arrives. The father arrives in the nick of time, totally unsuspecting of Rupesh who was right there. He is restless in his pursuit. Mohnish asks the crucial question, would the police catch up with Rupesh or would he succeed with his evil intentions?

Opportunity presents itself in the manner of a celebration in the village. Rupesh daringly finds the opportunity, gags Babita and whisks her away. She comes around, recognizes Rupesh just as he stabs her. The hue and cry of her search is instantaneous. The villagers catch up and find Babita, she is still alive. She survives in the hospital. Now as Inspector warns, he killer will surely want to kill her to save himself. Sure enough, Rupesh plans to somehow wipe out the girl who could give the vital evidence against him. But the father is aware and alert, and in the nick of time foils Rupesh's evil intent and gets him apprehended.

Mohnish Bahl gives the horrendous statistics. From over 26,000 crimes against minor girls in 2010, there was been an increase of over 20 per cent in crimes in the very next year. Minor girls are violated and brutalized mercilessly, says Mohnish, pointing out this horror against humanity. Rupesh was caught; he confessed. What was the motivation of his brutality? A woman he had solicited had ridiculed him for impotency. That had humiliated him enough to drive him to such extent of brutality? He had to try and prove his virility in such extreme measure?

Yes, he was caught also punished by law, but as Mohnish reiterates the grim reality, the lives of those eight innocent young girls were lost. Rupesh's father did his service to society. If you see or suspect any untoward behaviour do not let it go. Be safe, be secure and alert, as we in India Fight Back for the safety and security of all.