Aftab Amin Poonawala, Sahil Gehlot and now Rimple Jain: Inside the mind of cold blooded killers

The body was chopped into 35 pieces, bones reduced to powder, hands severed with a hammer, and body parts disposed in Delhi's Chattarpur Pahadi jungle over a span of few months. This was a murder chronicle crafted by Aftab Poonawalla in May 2022. Forward to March 2023 in Mumbai, a murder of similar style has been reported; torso and head wrapped in a saree, limbs stored in a steel drum, and perfumes sprayed for months to cover the foul smell. The murderer was a 23-year-old girl.

While the recent murder unravels in Mumbai, Delhi just reeled out of another savage murder from February 2023 where the victim Nikki Yadav was strangulated and stuffed in a fridge. Three cold-blooded murders of parallel fashion have unfolded in India's metropolitan cities that have jolted the collective sanity of the nation. What is the striking commonality in the three cases? The victims were killed by their closest kin, i.e., a boyfriend, a daughter, and a lover.

How does one's mind sketch a cold-blooded murder with no fear of consequence? Some terms that come to our mind when we link psychology and crime are psychopath, sociopath, psychotic, etc. It becomes imperative to avoid labeling and deliberate on what psychology tells us about a killer and the context of crime.

Mid-day.com spoke to psychologists Tanvi Sardesai and Juveriya Syed, who decode the behavior patterns, triggers and mental state of killers who commit bone-chilling acts of murder.

Traits of a cold-blooded killer

Research suggests that a set of personality traits and behavioural patterns play a role in shaping the mind of a killer. Sardesai, a clinical psychologist from Mumbai shares, "People who commit murders may have undergone different trajectories in the past. Resultantly, the motivation behind committing gruesome murders arises from their tangential life curves."

City-based counselling psychologist, Juveriya is practicing at Family first Guidance Centre Crawford market in Mumbai. She believes that these traits differ for each person as each case is unique to the circumstances of a murderer. People who commit such crimes may have a history of exhibiting violent and antisocial behaviour. Certain observable traits are:

1. Engaging in impulsive acts of road rage and violent fights
2. No control over impulse and temper
3. Reduced ability to regulate emotions
4. Seeking sensory stimulation through a substance or deviant acts
5. Lack of empathy or remorse for the other's pain
6. Lack of respect for other's dignity
7. Suffering from personality disorders or other mental health issues
8. Inability to connect with their social or familial circles

What happens in the brain when people kill

When a person commits an unplanned murder in a fit of rage, they tend to feel powerful and in control while performing those acts. The kill may potentially induce a rush of excitement or even euphoria. Adrenaline as well as dopamine is released by the brain which enhances their energy levels and gives them a heightened experience of being in the moment, without regrets.

Juveriya shares that this feeling, however, is usually very short-lived and is often followed by feelings of guilt and regret, as the act of violence was impulsive. The murderer may have been in a rage when they committed the act, but this does not guarantee a lack of consequential thought process post-murder.

What makes killers dispose of bodies in an undignified manner

The act of cutting, tearing, ripping etc. in psychology is referred to as dismemberment. This can be of two types:

Offensive dismemberment in which dismemberment is the primary motivation, and defensive dismemberment in which the motivation is to destroy or hide evidence. Various factors such as sexual gratification, sensation, and thrill-seeking, grandiosity contribute to a killer's drive to dismember a body.

Juveriya reveals that the act of dismemberment empowers a killer's instincts. "It could be a way for them to exhibit power and establish that they are in control over the victim even after death." Sometimes, the killer might feel an emotional attachment to the victim, and cutting up their body serves as an emotionally cathartic act.

How Psychology classifies people like Aaftab Poonawala, Sahil Gehlot and Rimple Jain

In her experience of clinical psychology, Sardesai has learned that those committing murders may often have traits of Antisocial Personality Disorder. This is characterised by a lack of concern for the feelings of others and disregard for social norms, rules and obligations. They also tend to have low frustration tolerance and a low threshold for engaging in aggression, including violence.

Such people might also be prone to blaming others or offering plausible rationalizations for their behaviours. They also tend to be deceitful and manipulative while dealing with others. They may exhibit irresponsible behaviours and have trouble maintaining healthy relationships.

What neuroscience has to say about the mind of a killer

Researchers have been studying the behaviour of people with violent tendencies for a long time. They have come up with three main theories about why people act violently. Experts shed light on the theories:

Biological theory

The Biopsychosocial model describes factors such as genes, temperament, the action of neurotransmitters, and abnormalities in brain structure and function that may predispose an individual to develop Antisocial Personality Disorder. Abnormalities in the brain such as a lack of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex have been linked to crimes involving issues with impulse control.

Psychological theory

When the past is layered with memories of torment such as childhood trauma, unstable family environment, exposure to violence, inability to regulate emotions, and so on, are factors that contribute to the outlier behaviour. They tend to lose on their empathy front and act without fear of consequences.

Sociological theory

Sociocultural factors such as peer influence, comparing their social status, and trying to prove their worth, inferiority, or superiority complexes can also trigger violent tendencies among people. Hence, it's not just one thing that makes people act violently but a combination of multiple factors.

Cognitive Behavioural Model

This model explains disorders by considering one's beliefs and thoughts and how these elements interact with one's emotions and behaviours. In ASPD, certain core beliefs may contribute to how they view themselves, others and the world and this may have an impact on their actions.

Other factors that can be attributed to antisocial behaviour

Exposure to the violent history of crimes and media engrains the brain with explicit ideas. Outlets like violent movies and games focused on showcasing extreme sexual sadism are strongly linked with violent crimes. When one consumes such visuals for the first time, one might flinch and look away. Gradually, violence gets normalised and takes a deep seat in the human psyche.

What is worse is that it empowers people with violent tendencies to learn about killing and body disposal hacks. TV shows like Dahmer, Mindhunter, Nightwalker are a rage in our society owing to the deranged leads and their unusual lives. Many of us enjoy the nerve-wracking stories as the content unfolds. However, there are always a few deviant members in society who watch it as a sport. They pick up tips that embolden them to commit murder and get away with it.

Identifiers of people with deviant personalities

It's important to note that not all murders happen in a planned manner; some occur in a simple fit of rage, such as the cases highlighted in today's discussion. People who commit murders in a rage usually have issues controlling their impulses. This stems from a deficit in a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the frontal cortex of the brain. Impulse control can be observed in daily life, such as in people with addiction issues, gambling issues, road rage issues, and even binge-eating or binge-watching. All of these situations demonstrate a deficit in controlling one's impulse or desire to do something adds Juveriya

Those diagnosed with ASPD often have conduct disorder in childhood. Sardesai highlights that deviant people begin to reveal their outlier personalities right from their formative years. Behaviours seen here may include physical aggression such as cruelty towards animals, assault, vandalism, abusive behaviour, excessive lying, and delinquent behaviours such as running away from school, fire setting, etc.

"When a child engages in merciless acts like throwing stones at a street dog or pulling the tail of a street cat just for fun, it tells us something very important: the child is gaining pleasure from the pain of others," said Juveriya. Upon noticing such behaviour, the child's mental health should be diagnosed and they should be taken for therapy.

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