The alleged murder of 26-year-old Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal has shocked the country, not only because of the nature of the crime but also because of the motive investigators claim lay behind it. Police allege that Agarwal was killed during a trek to Lohagad Fort after his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her alleged lover, Chetan Chaudhary, conspired to push him into a gorge, staging the incident as an accident.
As the investigation continues, the case has also raised a broader psychological question. Why do some people allegedly reach a point where they believe killing a partner is easier than ending a relationship? Speaking to India TV, Kriti Anand, Consultant, Psychiatrist, Paras Health, Panchkula, explained the psychological processes that may be associated with such acts, while stressing that no conclusions can be drawn about the mental state of any individual accused without a proper clinical assessment.
No diagnosis can be made without evaluation
Anand cautioned against drawing psychiatric conclusions from media reports or ongoing investigations.
"No psychiatric diagnosis can or should be made about any individual without a thorough clinical evaluation. We can only talk about the psychological processes that might be associated with such acts in general, not the mental state of a particular accused in high-profile criminal cases," she said.
According to the psychiatrist, when a person appears to believe that killing is easier than ending a relationship, the explanation is usually far more complex than a single mental illness.
She said such behaviour may arise from "a complex interaction of distorted thinking, emotional dysregulation, and maladaptive personality traits."
Some individuals, she explained, develop an unhealthy sense of ownership or entitlement over a partner, making rejection or separation feel like an unbearable threat to their identity, self-worth or sense of control.
Why emotions can override rational thinking
The psychiatrist explained that intense emotions such as jealousy, fear of abandonment, humiliation or betrayal can sometimes overwhelm rational decision-making.
"When these feelings are combined with a lack of impulse control, problems with anger management or 'all-or-nothing' thinking, the person may begin to see violence as a way to end emotional suffering or regain control. This is not a rational response but a dangerous breakdown of healthy emotional regulation," Anand said.
She added that certain personality traits, including narcissistic features, antisocial tendencies or severe emotional instability, may increase the likelihood of extreme reactions to rejection.
At the same time, Anand stressed that it is essential not to equate mental illness with violence.
"The vast majority of people with mental health conditions or personality disorders are not violent," she said, adding that violent behaviour is shaped by several factors, including previous life experiences, learned behaviour, substance use, access to weapons and situational stressors.
Warning signs should not be ignored
Healthy relationships, Anand said, are built on respecting a partner's autonomy, accepting rejection and developing healthy emotional coping mechanisms.
She explained that when these abilities are seriously impaired, the risk of harmful behaviour may increase.
The psychiatrist also urged people to pay attention to early behavioural warning signs.
"Early identification of obsessive possessiveness, increasing threats, coercive control and inability to accept boundaries should be taken seriously as these behaviours may be indicative of a need for urgent psychological intervention," she said.
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