From the brutal Kolkata rape and murder case to NCP leader Baba Siddique’s assassination, several incidents this year have left the nation shocked, and some triggered nationwide outrage. Here’s a recap of what took place in 2024.
Bengaluru CEO accused of killing her son
In January, 39-year-old CEO from Bengaluru, Suchana Seth, the founder of statrup Mindful AI lab , allegedly killed her son in a service apartment in Goa. She had checked into an Airbnb with her son on January 6. Goa police arrested her two days later. She was apprehended in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district as she tried to flee back to Bengaluru alone, with her son’s body hidden in a bag.
Investigations suggest that the crime may have been fueled by her strained relationship with her estranged husband and a bitter custody battle over their son. Currently, Suchana Seth remains in judicial custody, with the Goa Children’s Court having framed charges of murder against her. In addition, she faces charges of child abuse under Section 8 of the Goa Children’s Act, as well as charges under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for destruction of evidence.
Ex-MP Prajwal Revanna sex scandal
In April 2024, Karnataka was rocked by a massive sex scandal implicating Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and a sitting Member of Parliament from Hassan. The controversy, which unfolded during the Lok Sabha elections, cast a shadow over the Janata Dal (Secular) party and drew widespread attention.
It began when around 3,000 video clips, photos, and documents surfaced, allegedly showing cases of sexual abuse and exploitation. Following pressure from the State Commission for Women, the Karnataka government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 27 to investigate the allegations against Prajwal. The next day, Prajwal fled to Germany, reportedly without obtaining mandatory political clearance. Amid the uproar, the JD(S) suspended Prajwal on April 30. Adding to the scandal, his father, H D Revanna, was accused of kidnapping one of the alleged victims—a former maid in the Revanna household—who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Prajwal.
Another woman, a 44-year-old political worker, accused Prajwal of repeatedly raping and blackmailing her between January 2021 and April 2024. On September 13, the SIT filed a chargesheet against Prajwal, detailing multiple instances of assault over three years. Both Prajwal and his father now face legal battles, with Prajwal remaining in judicial custody.
Neha Hiremath murder
Neha Hiremath, a 23-year-old first-year MCA (Master’s in Computer Application) student, was brutally stabbed on her college campus on April 18. Her alleged attacker, former classmate Fayaz Khondunaik, was arrested shortly after the incident. The shocking murder, caught on CCTV, left Hubballi reeling and sparked a political storm. The BJP termed the murder a case of “love jihad,” a narrative echoed by the grieving family. However, the Congress government dismissed the claim, attributing the crime to “personal matters” and ordering a CID probe.
Pune Porsche car crash
It was past midnight when two IT professionals, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, were returning home on a bike after a Sunday night outing. A speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old under the influence of alcohol, rammed into them, killing them on the spot. What began as a fatal accident soon spiraled into nationwide outrage due to allegations of preferential treatment and a lenient judicial response.
Within 24 hours of his arrest, the Juvenile Justice Board granted the accused minor bail on controversial conditions: working with the Yerwada police for 15 days, writing a 300-word essay on road safety, undergoing treatment for his drinking habit, and attending counseling sessions. This leniency, despite the gravity of the incident, drew sharp criticism from the public. The controversy deepened as reports surfaced that the accused, the son of a prominent builder, received undue favors. His father allegedly brought Maharashtra MLA Sunil Tingre to the police station, delaying the blood alcohol test.
Furthermore, the juvenile’s grandfather was accused of abducting the car’s driver and coercing him to take the blame for the accident. Amid public anger, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the issue on 20 May 2024, meeting with police officials and expressing “shock and surprise” at the board’s decision. He instructed the police to file a review petition seeking to try the minor as an adult. A second FIR was also filed under Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Reasi terror attack
On June 9, 2024, the Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir was shaken by a militant attack. Unidentified militants opened fire on a passenger bus carrying Hindu pilgrims from the Shiv Khori cave to Katra. The gunfire caused the bus to lose control and fall into a deep gorge, where the attackers continued to fire at the crashed vehicle. Nine people lost their lives in the attack, while 41 others were injured. Initially, the Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the ambush, but later denied any involvement. However, the Jammu and Kashmir police suspects that the attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, with the TRF believed to be a front for the group.
Kolkata RG Kar College rape and murder
The gruesome Kolkata rape and murder on August 9, 2024, left the entire nation in shock and deeply affected not only doctors but women everywhere who strive to live independent lives. The victim, a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, was brutally raped and murdered in a college building, with her body found in a seminar room. The following day, a 33-year-old male civic volunteer working with the Kolkata police was arrested under suspicion of the crime. However, just three days later, the Calcutta High Court took the step of transferring the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), expressing a lack of confidence in the Kolkata police’s handling of the case.
In response to the tragedy, junior doctors in West Bengal went on strike for 42 days, demanding a comprehensive investigation and better security in hospitals. Protests from doctors across the country followed in solidarity. The brutal incident sparked widespread discussions on the safety of women and healthcare professionals in India, leading to both national and international outrage. Despite the public outcry, the CBI’s failure to file a chargesheet on time resulted in two key suspects being granted bail. The victim’s parents, still fighting for justice, have now turned to the Calcutta High Court, seeking a fresh investigation into their daughter’s rape and murder case.
Badlapur school case
Just when the nation was reeling from the Kolkata rape-murder incident, another case emerged from Maharashtra’s Badlapur district where a male sweeper was accused of abusing two four-year-old girls at a well-known co-educational school. The alleged assaults took place in the school’s washroom on August 12 and 13, 2024, and came to light when one victim reported pain, leading to the second girl’s disclosure. Following a First Information Report filed by the parents on August 16, the accused was arrested on August 17. The incident sparked widespread public outrage and protests in the district.
On August 20, the accused was killed in “retaliatory firing” while attempting to escape custody by seizing a police officer’s firearm and opening fire, which resulted in injuries to several officers.
Attack on army officers
When two army officers were out for a night outing with their female friends in Madhya Pradesh’s Jam Gate along the Mhow-Mandleshwar Road, they could not have imagined that their trip would soon turn into a nightmare. A group of six men attacked them in the early hours of Wednesday, 11 September. According to DIG Nimish Agrawal, two officers from the Mhow cantonment town had gone on a night trip and were sitting in a car with their friends when six men showed up, surrounded, assaulted, and held them at gunpoint.
One of the officers and a woman were detained by the men, while the other two were told to bring 10 lakh rupees. The officer, who was asked to go and get the money, informed his seniors after reaching a spot within the mobile phone network range. By the time his colleagues arrived, the assailants had fled. Police said the four victims were brought to Mhow Civil Hospital for medical examination around 6.30 am. Soon after, a case was registered under various sections related to loot, dacoity, rape, and the Arms Act. It was also discovered that, while the accused men asked one of the officers and a woman to get the money, the incident of gang rape allegedly took place with one of the female friends during their absence. All six men have been arrested and remain in police custody.
Baba Siddique murder
The high-profile murder case of the year involves the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, who was shot on 12 October 2024, when the entire nation was celebrating Vijay Dashmi, by three assailants in Mumbai. The 66-year-old leader was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared dead. Three bullets were fired at Siddique around 9.30 pm near the office of his son, Zeeshan, the MLA of Bandra East. Soon after the murder, a post emerged on Facebook by a man linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who was also responsible for the murder of famous singer Sidhu Moosewala.
The post took responsibility for the killing. It was alleged that the murder was connected to Siddique’s links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his ties with actor Salman Khan, who had already been targeted by the gang due to his earlier legal case. However, the police have not found any links connecting the jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi with the case so far, and his brother, Anmol Bishnoi, is believed to be behind the conspiracy. A total of 21 arrests have been made in the case, including key suspects, involving the shooter and the mastermind who orchestrated the plan.
Siddique’s death is a reminder of a grim pattern. Since the 1960s, nearly half a dozen politicians in Mumbai have fallen victim to gang-related attacks, revealing a dark underbelly of political rivalry intertwined with organised crime.
Manipur deaths
Manipur, the northeastern state that had been embroiled in unrest for over a year, saw tensions take a more heated turn when the bodies of a woman and two children – believed to be three of the six people missing from Manipur’s Jiribam since November 11 – were found floating on the Jiri river on November 16 evening.
The bodies were taken to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem, Assam Police said. Six people from the same family – three women and three children, including a baby – had gone missing from Jiribam’s Borobekra after violence erupted in the area. All six were from the Meitei community and had been living in a relief camp set up at the Borobekra police station after violence had gripped the area in June.
Soon after, Manipur’s Imphal Valley descended into chaos following the news. As protestors took to the streets, setting vehicles ablaze and attacking the residences of several MLAs in the state capital Imphal, the government temporarily suspended internet and mobile data services in seven affected districts of the valley, which is dominated by the non-tribal Meiteis, and the surrounding hills where the tribal Kuki-Zos are in a majority. A curfew was also imposed in the three valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, and Bishnupur.
Death due to lynching in 2024
A 30-year-old man was beaten to death with sticks and rods in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district over a borewell dispute, police said on November 27. The incident sparked political reactions, with the Congress highlighting “atrocities” against Dalits in the state, while the BJP assured that the guilty would not be spared.
The victim, Narad Jatav, had been visiting his maternal uncle’s home in Indargarh village on Tuesday evening. The attack was allegedly “orchestrated by the village sarpanch and his family,” stemming from a long-standing dispute over a pathway and a borewell, police said. Around 4 pm, an argument broke out over a borewell pipeline that Narad had reportedly removed, triggering a violent confrontation. According to the police, sarpanch Padam Dhakad, his brother Mohar Pal Dhakad, son Ankesh Dhakad, and other family members allegedly surrounded Narad and assaulted him. Witnesses stated that the attackers did not stop until Narad succumbed to his injuries. A purported video of the incident went viral, showing multiple people repeatedly assaulting Jatav as he pleaded with them to stop.