Mammootty's film brings back horrifying memories of Cyanide Mohan's crimes

With Mammootty’s latest film Kalamkaval hitting theatres, discussions about the notorious serial killer Cyanide Mohan have once again resurfaced in the news. Mohan Kumar, known as Cyanide Mohan, was a resident of Kanyana in Bantwal, Karnataka, and is accused of murdering around 32 innocent young women. After pretending to be in love, he befriended women, forced them into sexual relationships, and then gave them cyanide-laced contraceptive pills. After killing them, he would steal their gold and money. It took years of investigation for the police to finally track him down.

The murders took place between 2003 and 2009. The bodies were usually found in hotel bathrooms and bus stand toilets. The jewellery of all the victims had been stolen. Post-mortem reports confirmed cyanide poisoning as the cause of death in every case. The investigation became more serious after the 19th victim was killed. In 2009, a young woman named Anita Barimar was found dead. Her death almost led to a communal conflict. Anita belonged to the Bangera community. Since she went missing one morning, some people spread allegations that she had eloped with a Muslim youth, escalating tensions. There were threats to burn down the police station. The police, requesting a month’s time, managed to defuse the protest and intensified the investigation.

The police then decided to analyse all available call records scientifically. A key breakthrough came when they found that all the traced numbers had been active at least once in Deralakatte, a town near Mangaluru. Multiple police teams were deployed to inspect every lodge in the area. This led them to a boy named Dhanush. When questioned, he revealed that the phone and SIM card he used had been given to him by his uncle. The police then summoned Mohan Kumar to the station on the pretext of another case and arrested him. Mohan was finally taken into custody on October 21, 2009.

Mohan targeted women from economically weaker families, mostly those who were past the usual marriageable age. After gaining their trust, he took them to hotels, engaged in sexual activity, and then forced them to take contraceptive pills coated with cyanide. The women would go to the toilet to take the pills, experience sudden discomfort, collapse, and die. Mohan would then leave with their gold.

Several Malayali women also fell victim to Mohan’s trap, including Pushpavathi (21) of Mulleria in Kasaragod, Vijayalakshmi (26) of Uppala, Savitri (26) of Paivalike, and Kamala of Kumbla. Others killed include Baby Naik (25), Sharada (24), Kaveri (34), Vinutha (24), Hemavathi (24), Yashoda (26), Shashikala (28), Shanta (35), a 22-year-old woman from Uppinangady, Sujatha (28), Sasikala (26), Poornima (33), Arathi (24), and several others. Mohan has claimed that he killed more than 30 women in total.

Cyanide Mohan was last sentenced in the case involving the murder of Pushpavathi. In one case, the High Court upheld the death sentence. In two more cases, the death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. Altogether, Mohan has been awarded the death penalty in six cases and life imprisonment in 14 cases. However, the death sentence has not been carried out so far.