Monikers of the accused were inspired by mafia

MUMBAI: Investigators probing the quadruple murders at Kurar found that most of the accused had fancy monikers, the kind largely associated with underworld operatives. Sociologists say this could be done with an intention to create a sense of awe or even fear. Only a few of the 16 accused have past criminal records; most are amateurs.
“The men could have drawn inspiration for the nicknames from the mafia or glamour world,” says ex-IPS officer and lawyer Y P Singh.“Cops often include different nicknames of an accused in the chargesheet. For instance, a witness might say he had seen Balu climb the wall of a house and commit burglary, when the accused’s name is actually Balkrishna. To erase confusion during trial, cops include both names in the chargesheet.”
In the Kurar case, the nicknames used by the accused bear no resemblance to their names. Hemant Gupta is Gibbs, Bhola Chaube is Bhonu, Vaibhav Chavan is Bodya, Rohan Verma is Bachhi, Ravi Mishra is Touch, Kalpesh Patel is Lalu, Ajit Rane is Lambu and Naresh Mayekar is Chitlya.
“Nicknames give a sense of alternate identity which defines behaviour,” says psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty. “Sometimes , an accused may take up a name that sounds similar to that of a gangster who is way higher in the ladder of hierarchy . Nicknames provide a linkage. Smaller groups seek a connection with seniors through fancy names.”