Why is violence the male response to a woman's rejection in India? episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 2, 2026 · 24 MIN

Why is violence the male response to a woman's rejection in India?

from In Focus by The Hindu · host The Hindu

Just 10 days after the New Year, news hit the headlines of a software engineer found dead in her home in Bengaluru. The police initially suspected her death was due to a fire that broke out in her apartment, but later arrested an 18-year-old man. Police said that the man, who was the victim’s neighbour, assaulted her and then set fire to house. The reason? The woman rejected his sexual advances. This is not a unique case: hundreds of assaults, murders and acid attacks are routinely reported across the country all because women have said no to men.What drives men in India to injure or kill when they are rejected? What role does our society upbringing play in this? Do movies that glorify stalking contribute to the problem Host: Zubeda Hamid Guest: Prasanna Gettu, co-founder of the Chennai-based International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just 10 days after the New Year, news hit the headlines of a software engineer found dead in her home in Bengaluru. The police initially suspected her death was due to a fire that broke out in her apartment, but later arrested an 18-year-old man. Police said that the man, who was the victim’s neighbour, assaulted her and then set fire to house. The reason? The woman rejected his sexual advances. This is not a unique case: hundreds of assaults, murders and acid attacks are routinely reported across the country all because women have said no to men.What drives men in India to injure or kill when they are rejected? What role does our society upbringing play in this? Do movies that glorify stalking contribute to the problem Host: Zubeda Hamid Guest: Prasanna Gettu, co-founder of the Chennai-based International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NOW PLAYING

Why is violence the male response to a woman's rejection in India?

0:00 24:52

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of In Focus by The Hindu?

This episode is 24 minutes long.

When was this In Focus by The Hindu episode published?

This episode was published on February 2, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Just 10 days after the New Year, news hit the headlines of a software engineer found dead in her home in Bengaluru. The police initially suspected her death was due to a fire that broke out in her apartment, but later arrested an 18-year-old man....

Can I download this In Focus by The Hindu episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!