Mohan Kumar, “Cyanide Mohan”

Mohan Kumar, known as “Cyanide Mohan,” was convicted in 20 murder cases involving women in Karnataka whom he approached with false promises of marriage.

A repeated promise of marriage

Mohan Kumar targeted women in Karnataka who were seeking marriage and, according to prosecutors, presented himself as a prospective husband who would not demand a dowry. He used aliases and moved between towns, making the pattern difficult to recognize at first.

Poisoning and theft

After gaining a victim’s trust, Kumar used cyanide to kill and then took valuables. Individual disappearances initially appeared unrelated, but investigators later found common patterns in travel, telephone use and personal property.

The investigation

Kumar was arrested in 2009. Police reopened numerous missing-person cases, and prosecutors brought a series of separate trials rather than one combined prosecution.

Twenty convictions

By 2020, Kumar had been convicted in a twentieth murder case. Some death sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment. The case is an example of how repeated offenses across jurisdictions can remain hidden until investigators identify behavioral and digital links between victims.