When homes turn lethal: India’s intimate partner homicide crisis

• Author Details:   
• Malla Bharadwaj Sai Satya Murthy ^*
• Kattamreddy Ananth Rupesh

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Intimate partner homicide (IPH), or domestic homicide, is the most severe manifestation of intimate partner violence (IPV) and is emerging as a significant yet under-recognized crisis in India. Recent high-profile cases, amplified by 24×7 electronic media and social platforms, have exposed the lethal convergence of cultural traditions, psychological vulnerabilities, and socioeconomic pressures within domestic spaces. Dowry disputes, infertility stigma, caste hierarchies, suspicions of infidelity, and financial strain are among the key underlying factors, often creating environments where coercive control, humiliation, and domination culminate in fatal violence. Legal frameworks such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provide partial safeguards, yet concerns about misuse and delayed justice continue to complicate their effectiveness. In India, intimate partner homicide is less an eruption of passion than the predictable outcome of systemic failures and entrenched cultural contradictions. The complexity and delays inherent in current divorce laws often trap individuals in harmful relationships, exacerbating the risk of lethal outcomes. Preventing such violence requires reimagining marriage as a voluntary contract, simplifying access to no-fault divorce, strengthening survivor-centred legal and social support, and fostering a cultural tolerance of human frailty. Only by addressing these structural and legal barriers can India hope to reduce intimate partner homicides and transform homes from potential battlegrounds into spaces of safety.