KD Kempamma

 

Do you know about the first Indian woman convicted of serial murder in India? Although there are no official records, it is widely believed that KD Kempamma was the first female serial killer convicted in India.

KD Kempamma 'Cyanide Mallika'

KD Kempamma, also known as Cyanide Mallika, was a serial killer in the early 2000s who terrorizedterrorised the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. She was born in 1970 into a poor family and grew up to become one of India's most known serial killers. Her story is an alarming reminder of the dark side of human nature and the horrors that might result from a life of poverty and abuse.

KD Kempamma was married to a tailor who abandoned her in 1988. Her husband threw her out of the house with their three children after her chit-fund business suffered major losses. She started doing odd jobs to make money. She used to steal from the homes where she works as a maid.

KD Kempamma began her killing spree in 1999, when she murdered a 30-year-old woman while she was praying at a temple. She then began to target ladies near temples who appeared to be in distress. Kempamma was arrested for the first time in 2001 while attempting to steal jewels from a house where she planned to perform a ceremony. She was sentenced to 6 months in prison and was freed after serving her term. Kempamma murdered five more women between October 10 and December 18, 2007. Her modus operandi was to pretend as a very religious lady in order to gain the trust of her victims. She listens to their problems and advises them to perform pooja in order to solve them.

Mallika, who claims to be well-versed in rituals, offers to organize puja at a private temple where she forces them to drink or eat cyanide-laced water and food. She would rob all of their goods and money once they were dead. She used to buy cyanide from jewelry stores, which used it to clean gold jewelry. She was given the title of 'Cyanide Mallika' due to her method of operation.

Kempamma is accused of murdering several women but has only been convicted of six. Her victims included a 52-year-old woman who was praying for her granddaughter, a 60-year-old woman who was praying for asthma relief, and her final victim, who was praying for a son because she was childless. Kempamma killed them all with cyanide and changed her identity after each murder. Police suspected her in 2009 when one of the deceased's relatives accused Kempamma of murder because she was the last person to contact the victim, Renuka. Some of the other families also came forward, claiming that Kempamma may have killed their missing family members because she knew all of them. All of these cases were linked to Kempamma, leading the authorities to suspect her.

Kempamma was arrested at a bus stop on December 31, 2008. Some of the people told police about her when she tried to sell the victims' jewels. During the police investigation, she admitted that the primary purpose of her actions was robbery. Kempamma was convicted in different trials of various murders. She was sentenced to death in 2012. Kempamma was the first woman in Karnataka to be sentenced to death. Kempamma made headlines again in 2017 for being V.K. Sasikala's jail neighbor.

Kempamma, neighbor of Sasikala in Bangalore Jail

The case of KD Kempamma exposed the dangers of elderly women living alone, as well as the risks of trusting strangers. The case received a lot of coverage in the media, and Kempamma became a household name in India. Her story has also been the subject of various films and documentaries. Cyanide Mallika, a Kannada language film based on her life, was released on February 26, 2021.

Kannada movie "Cyanide Mallika"

The story of Cyanide Mallika is a terrifying reminder of the dark side of human nature that can arise from a life of poverty and abuse. Her acts were horrible and irrational and her victims were clueless. Her story serves as a lesson to be aware of strangers, especially those who offer us help. It is a reminder of the importance of being more attentive and careful in today's world.