Stalker Tries To Slit Woman's Throat In Hyderabad: Refreshing Case Of Bystanders Helping

A stalker tried to slit a 30-year-old woman’s throat in Hyderabad on Monday. He was overpowered by the public who stopped him from attacking the woman further. The SR Nagar police arrived at the spot and identified the accused as Kishore Kumar, who works as a security guard. The woman was taken to the hospital, and her condition is stable. Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media.

According to the police, Kishore had been pursuing a romantic relationship with the survivor, who works as a domestic help. The incident took place around 5 p.m. in Borabanda.

The woman was riding a scooter while Kishore followed her in his two-wheeler, stopped her near a bus stop in Borabanda, and started an argument. As the fight heated up, he pulled her down on the street, took out a knife, and tried to slit her throat. Hearing the woman’s cry of  pain, a crowd gathered and overpowered Kishore, stopping him from attacking the woman further.

Stalker Attempts To Murder Woman

The video shows an angry Kishore threatening the public with his knife while the public approaches him with rods and sticks. The woman can be seen sitting on the street. In another video, the woman can be seen naming Kishore as the attacker.

The police said that Kishore was apparently disturbed after the woman began avoiding him. Assuming that she was going to marry someone else, he decided to kill her. An FIR has been registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code Section 307 (attempt to murder).

After coming across numerous stories about women being killed or attacked in broad daylight while people around them remained silent spectators, it’s refreshing to see one incident where bystanders chose to help out instead of just recording the incident on their mobile phones.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in 2021 revealed that 9,285 cases were reported that year. Many cases of stalking go unreported due to the victim-blaming culture in our country and yet the number of stalking crimes reported keeps increasing every year.

Unfortunately, we live in an era where the majority of the public chooses to remain silent bystanders and witness a crime rather than try to intervene and help. The world doesn’t need saviours and heroes, but is it too much to expect a little help from people around you when faced with a life-or-death crisis? In most cases, the bystanders would outnumber the perpetrator. Yet, people are reluctant to come forward and help in many situations.

Earlier this year, a man stabbed a woman over 16 times and brutally murdered her in public. The duo were in a relationship but the woman called it quits after her parents rejected the marriage proposal. The crime happened right outside the woman's office, so why didn't anyone intervene?

The bystander effect occurs when people don’t intervene to help someone in trouble and choose to simply witness the incident. People need to get over the fear of "what if I’m called to testify?" "what if I have to go file a complaint?" "what if I get hurt while helping?" etc.

Will we hesitate to help if it is our family or friend who is being attacked? Shouldn’t we have that much empathy for our fellow human beings? Why do we have to fear when we are not at fault?

If stalking is seen as a heinous crime instead of being romanticised in movies, and if bystanders get over their apathy and try to intervene when a crime is committed right in front of their eyes, won’t that make society safer? Won’t that instil fear in the minds of attackers?

Suggested Reading: Chennai Stalker Slashes Woman’s Face With Beer Bottle After She Rejects Proposal