Article- From Charles Sobhraj to Luigi Mangione, the dangerous disease of finding heroes among killers

Author: Shobha De
Luigi Mangione, 26, is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but is in the news on social media for a different reason. She is being praised for her looks and ‘courage’ even though she has committed a serious crime. The incident occurred in America and the popularity of the killer has sparked a debate. Due to the influence of Hollywood and social media, attraction towards criminals is increasing. In India too, the same has been seen with criminals like Charles Sobhraj and Abu Salem.

glorification of criminal

Luigi Mangione is a 26-year-old Ivy League tech graduate. he/she murdered Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare. After this, she got the title of ‘Hot Assassin’ because of her looks on social media. People are talking about his/her ‘abs’ and ‘eyebrows’ and not about the crime he/she has committed. Some people are even demanding to forgive him/her. One said that if we are a Christian nation, let us behave like this! Forgive Luigi! Another wrote that he/she was a ‘spicy meatball’. Another said Mamma Mia! I fell in love with a criminal! One even wrote that Luigi didn’t do anything… but I have no objection to doing something with him/her! A poll showed that 40% of American youth felt that Luigi’s actions were acceptable.

This incident raises questions about how a murderer can become a star? According to an article in The New York Times, people often associate beauty with innocence, which is called the ‘halo effect’. The glorification of criminals in Hollywood films also promotes this trend. Mangione committed the murder with full planning and fled on a bicycle. A few days later, a McDonald’s employee recognized him/her, leading to police arresting him/her.

There are many such criminals in India also

In India too, there are many such criminals about whom people have a strange attraction. Charles Sobhraj, also known as the ‘Bikini Killer’, murdered at least 12 people. According to some estimates this number could be up to 30. Four books, three documentaries and an eight-part BBC-Netflix series have been based on his/her life. There is also a statue of him/her in the restaurant in Goa where he/she was arrested which attracts tourists. he/she was eating chicken cafreal and crabs when he/she was caught. This 80 year old vicious criminal now lives in France, but his/her story still surprises and fascinates people.

The story of Abu Salem is no less interesting. From being a tailor to selling knives and then running a telephone booth, Salem became a dreaded goon of D-Company. 62-year-old Salem started his/her career by delivering weapons and smuggled goods for D-Gang. Later, he/she used to threaten many people from Bollywood, demand ransom and commit murders. After being found guilty in more than 50 cases, Salem is serving a life sentence in Nashik Central Jail. his/her story of fleeing to Portugal and then being arrested by Interpol in Lisbon is highly dramatic. Salem, convicted for his/her role in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts that killed 250 people and injured 700, still makes headlines from jail and faces the cameras at every court appearance.

Fans of these criminals call them ‘babe magnets’ and are crazy about their looks and charisma. People forget their bad deeds and get attracted towards their personality. As one fan of Luigi said, this kind of love is irrational, it is physical. Luigi has made a place in our hearts. At a dance party in Boston, pictures of Luigi were being shown behind the DJ. Luigi posters, mugs and other merchandise are being sold around the world. A Luigi look alike contest was also held. All this forces one to think whether such a deadly combination of beauty and ‘courage’ is a dangerous message for the society?