30 Wives Killed by Husbands in 115 Days, Reveals Data From Chhattisgarh

As social media floods with memes and mockery of so-called "deadly wives" after the arrest of Sonam Raghuvanshi for the murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi in Indore, a chilling reality is emerging from Chhattisgarh. Over the last 115 days, 30 women in the state have been killed by their husbands - meaning one murder in every four days.

The sensational Indore case, involving newly-wed Sonam Raghuvanshi's arrest for allegedly killing her husband Raja, has sparked a frenzy online. Wives have been branded as murderers, trust-breakers, and criminals. But amid the noise, Chhattisgarh's police records tell a starkly different story - one of routine violence, not viral exception.

The Brutal Murders Behind the Statistics

In Dhamtari, a young couple had been married for just three months. On June 7, the husband posted a photo with his wife expressing love. Three days later, he slit her throat with a sickle. "The accused husband, Dhaneshwar Patel, confessed to killing his wife over suspicions about her character," said Manishanker Chandra, a senior police officer.

Another case in Balod on March 22 initially appeared to be a road accident. The victim, a schoolteacher, died on the spot. But a deeper probe revealed that her husband, Sheeshpal, and his friend had staged the accident after murdering her. "Kayamuddin, an acquaintance of the accused, confessed during interrogation that the murder was pre-planned," said Yogesh Patel, another senior police officer.

Chhattisgarh's grim tally of 30 wife murders includes 10-plus murders due to suspicion or jealousy, 6 in an intoxicated state, two after refusal to have sex. The rest stemmed from domestic abuse, dowry disputes, or marital stress. 

Sociologist Professor DN Sharma criticised the skewed gender narrative being peddled online. 

"This selective outrage is rooted in patriarchy. Men have committed thousands of murders, but if a woman does it, the entire gender is vilified. Murder is murder -gender shouldn't change the gravity," Mr Sharma said.

"Labelling women based on a few sensational cases reflects our deeply male-dominated mindset. The trolling of wives is not just unfair - it is dangerous," he added.

As relationships struggle under the weight of suspicion, rage and pressure, experts warn that the society is normalizing violence, not preventing it. Chhattisgarh's data shows an urgent need not for mockery but for conversation, support, and protection, experts said.