Cyanide, Drinks, Stealing: AP Police Arrest Three Women Serial Killers, Not The First Ones In India | A Recap Of Notorious Incidents In The Past

From befriending strangers and learning about their causes of distress to offering them drinks laced with cyanide to kill them followed by a spree to steal gold, and other valuables- three women serial killers from Andhra Pradesh's Tenali district followed almost exact footprints of India's first-ever convicted woman serial killer Cyanide Mallika aka KD Kempamma.

In past times, bone-chilling crimes committed by women serial killers in India have sent us into a state of shock many times. The heinous, gruesome nature of the notorious crimes that emerged in India left the world petrified.

According to police, the women were identified as Munagappa Rajini, Madiyala Venkateshwari, and Gulra Ramanamma respectively. It has been revealed that the murders took place in June this year. They first killed a woman named Nagur B while two others they attempted to kill at the same time, survived.

Police on Thursday apprehended three women who reportedly have murdered four people including three women. Amongst them, 32-year-old Madiyala Venkateshwari already has a history of committing cybercrime in Cambodia.

According to Tenali Superintendent of Police, Satish Kumar, the women had confessed to the crimes. The police have warned people to be cautious and not befriend strangers easily.

Cyanide Mallika: Targeting women visiting temples

Cyanide Mallika aka KD Kempamma, the first convicted serial killer of India on record, and a resident of Kaggalipura in Bangalore reportedly killed 6 women between November 1, 2007, and December 18, 2007.

What started as a stealing spree owing to her distressful situation in life, later developed into a serial killing habit. According to her modus operandi, she would only target those women who visited temples and appeared distressed. She would then befriend those ladies with a promise to resolve their issues with a 'puja'.

At the end of the ritual, she used to give her victims a cyanide-laced glass of water to drink leading to their deaths following which she would steal her victim’s valuables.

Kempamma was arrested in 2000 while stealing and had to serve only 6 months for this crime. Following her release, she went on a killing spree and murdered six women in 2007.

Finally, she was arrested in December 2008 while trying to peddle jewelry stolen from her victims. Kempamma had to serve two death sentences for the murder of two women. Her second death sentence was reduced to life in prison, as there was only circumstantial evidence against her in that case.

Koodathai killings: The Jolly Joseph case

The infamous Koodathai serial killings in Kerala involving the murders of six people within a span of 14 years between 2002 to 2016 were perpetrated by the notorious Jolly Joseph.

First killing in 2002: Mysteriously, Jolly’s mother-in-law Annamma passed away after consuming mutton soup at home. However, there is still a lack of clarity over the cause of her death as it was not the first time that Annamma had fallen sick after drinking soup. Notably, no post-mortem was conducted

Second killing in 2008: Six years later in 2008, Jolly‘s father-in-law Tom Thomas reportedly collapsed inside their ground-floor bathroom. He was reportedly rushed to the Shanthi Hospital in Omassery where he was declared that he died following a heart attack. No post-mortem was conducted in this case as well. 

Third killing in 2011: With no doubts raised after the first two deaths, the third targeting his husband left the impression of murder for the first time. On October 30, 2011, Roy died a similar death and was found lying unconscious on the floor of his bathroom, vomiting and foaming at the mouth. Later, the autopsy report revealed the presence of cyanide in his body.

The other killings: Jolly also killed his husband's uncle who insisted on further investigation. In 2014, Jolly mixed cyanide in Matthew's drink and he died a similar death.

After her husband's death, Jolly had an affair with her late husband's cousin Shaju Zacharias. In a bid to remove the additional barriers, she poisoned Shaju's younger daughter Alfein followed by his wife Sili.

Seema Gavit, Renuka Shinde: The killer sisters

In Maharashtra, half-sisters Renuka Shinde and Seema Gavit were involved in a series of crimes between 1990 and 1996, all under their mother Anjanabai Gavit's guidance.

Within a span of six years, Renuka and Seema were convicted of kidnapping 13 children and killing five of them. They kidnapped children, mostly toddlers, from Nashik, Satara, Pune, Kolhapur and Sangli.

Reportedly, the two sisters, along with their mother used the kidnapped children in petty crimes and begging. At least five of the kidnapped children were killed as they allegedly refused to co-operate.

They were sentenced to death in 2001 by the sessions court. The Bombay High Court in 2004 and the Supreme Court in 2006 upheld the decision. Their mercy petition was rejected by the Governor in 2008 and by the President in 2014.