With two men held in two weeks for their killing sprees, forensic psychologists provide insight into profiles of ‘serial killers’ caught in Gujarat and what drives them to commit such crimes, in small letter
Rahul Jat calmly ate fruit salad after raping and murdering a 19-year-old girl in Valsad. Navalsinh Chavda spiked drinks with a chemical substance that produced excessive acidity and deprived the body of oxygen, causing his victims to die painfully. Both systematically killed multiple persons over months and years. These chilling details, emerging from recent cases in Gujarat, have prompted forensic experts to delve deeper into the psyche of serial killers and what separates them from other offenders.

What sets them apart from other murder offenders is the modus operandi and motive, said experts.
In the last decade, Gujarat has witnessed at least five to six cases of alleged serial killers. A senior police official explained, “Connecting the dots in such cases is a challenge. While an accused might confess to multiple crimes, gathering evidence, especially for older crimes, becomes incredibly difficult. Many cases remain unsolved due to the lack of tangible proof. Some of the accused get the benefit of the doubt. It is also important to keep an eye on the patterns of unsolved crimes.”

Experts from the Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFS) in Gandhinagar have studied the profiles of several such accused, uncovering commonalities in their backgrounds and psychological triggers.
“Except for one case in Gandhinagar, almost all others were part of the floating population. Almost all of them were school dropouts and had transient jobs,” said an expert. “Their victims often fit a ‘type.’ For instance, the accused from Gandhinagar targeted people around 60 years of age as he felt victimised by his emotionally unavailable father and wanted to prove himself worthy by becoming rich. Another sought validation of his masculinity by asserting power over his victims,” the expert added.
The case of Rahul Jat, accused of six murders, highlights another layer of complexity. Experts believe his actions stem from a need to assert dominance despite living with a disability. Interestingly, many of his alleged victims also had disabilities, which fits a pattern, the expert added.
H P Sanghvi, Director of DFS, stated that forensic psychology profiling has become a crucial tool in unravelling the psyche of serial killers. “Over the past decade, we have analyzed four cases involving serial killers. Understanding their psychological patterns helps investigators uncover crucial details and establish connections between crimes,” Sanghvi said.