'Highest form of dehumanisation': UP man clubs mother, wife to death, chews flesh from skulls; village watches in terror

LUCKNOW: In a gruesome crime, a 30-year-old man in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar clubbed his mother and wife to death on the rooftop of their house, smashed their heads with bricks and chewed the flesh from their skulls as the entire village, gathered by the howling of the victims, watched in horror.The crime that unfolded on Monday morning in Parsa village under the Ahirauli police station limits left both the police and residents shell-shocked.When locals, alerted by screams and unusual activity, rushed to the house, Sikandar, according to eyewitnesses, began hurling pieces of flesh at them, triggering panic and chaos.Police rushed to the spot and arrested the accused.The accused, identified as Sikandar Gupta (30), worked as a labourer in Mumbai and returned to the village about a month ago.Villagers alleged that Sikandar was addicted to alcohol and ganja and frequently assaulted his wife and mother, often threatening to kill them.Police said Sikandar first assaulted his wife, Priyanka (28), and mother, Runa Devi (60), with sticks on the rooftop of his house. He then picked up a cement brick and repeatedly smashed their heads, killing both on the spot. He allegedly mutilated the bodies, removed flesh from their skulls, and consumed it in front of the entire village.

“A case of double murder was registered, and police are also examining the accused’s mental condition as part of the investigation,” said Kushinagar superintendent of police Keshav Mishra.Independent criminologist Ashok Srivastava, who studied at National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gujarat, and assists state police forces as well as CBI, said that acts involving cannibalism like Kushinagar incident reflect extreme psychopathology driven by a desire for domination, deep psychological trauma and, in some cases, neurological factors.“In cases like this, cannibalism is frequently planned and driven by a desire for total domination over the victim. The act creates a perverse sense of permanent possession, as the perpetrator believes the victim can never leave or escape,” Srivastava said.He explained that such behaviour represents the highest form of dehumanisation. “By consuming the body, the offender reduces the victim to an object. It is an ultimate expression of power and control, often rooted in deep-seated frustration, feelings of inferiority and damaged self-esteem,” he said.Lucknow-based senior clinical psychologist and counsellor PK Khattri said the accused in Kushinagar appears to be suffering from psychosis, a severe mental health condition that can involve hallucinations and delusions.Khattri said the accused was highly agitated and unwilling to communicate, indicating a disturbed mental state.