{{Short description|Indian serial killer}} {{use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox murderer | name = Mohan Kumar | image = | caption = | birth_name = | other_names = Cyanide Mohan<br>Ananda<br>Bhaskara<ref>{{cite web|title=Mangalore: Neighbours, Family, Refuse to Accept Mohan as Killer|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=67282|access-date=8 February 2014|archive-date=5 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105005305/http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=67282|url-status=live}}</ref><br/>Bhaskar<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/Gruesome-Murders/2013/12/08/article1933287.ece|title=Gruesome Murders|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=13 July 2015|archive-date=1 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501144602/http://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/Gruesome-Murders/2013/12/08/article1933287.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1963}} | birth_place = Karnataka, India | death_date = | cause = | victims = 20 | country = India | states = | beginyear = 2003 | endyear = 2009 | apprehended = 21 October 2009 | penalty = Death penalty (commuted to life imprisonment) }} '''Mohan Kumar Vivekanand''' (born 1963), also known as '''Cyanide Mohan''', is a serial killer who preyed on women looking for marriage. A Mangalore fast-track court tried and convicted him for the murder of 20 women in Karnataka from 2003 to 2009.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The true story of Dahaad and Cyanide Mohan, the serial killer who inspired Vijay Varma's character |url=https://www.dailyo.in/entertainment/the-true-story-of-dahaad-and-cyanide-mohan-the-serial-killer-who-inspired-vijay-varmas-character-39833 |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=www.dailyo.in |language=en}}</ref>
He was accused of luring women around the age of 22-35 who were unable to pay dowry or were unable to find suitable husbands.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/Curious-case-of-Cyanide-Mohan-draws-advocates/articleshow/10836764.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108162620/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-23/mangalore/30432561_1_witnesses-court-premises-lawyer|url-status=live|archive-date=2014-01-08|work=The Times of India|title=Curious case of 'Cyanide' Mohan draws advocates |date=23 November 2011 }}</ref> Kumar would offer these women that he would marry them without asking for a dowry. He would kill them by giving them cyanide pills and robbing them of their jewellery.
Apart from murder, he was also alleged to have been involved in bank loan frauds and forgeries.<ref name="q855">{{cite web | title=Mangalore: Serial Killer Cyanide Mohan Also Cheated Teachers, Banks | website=Daijiworld.com | date=2011-11-28 | url=https://daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=123284 | access-date=2025-10-23}}</ref>
== Early career == He was a primary school physical education teacher from Dakshina Kannada (1980 to 2003).<ref>{{cite web |title=Teacher turns serial killer |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/Teacher-turns-serial-killer/articleshow/5146364.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608121831/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-10-22/mangalore/28112440_1_serial-killer-cyanide-cell-phone |archive-date=2013-06-08 |work=The Times of India |date=22 October 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-28 |title=Mohan Kumar to Cyanide Mohan: From mild-mannered school teacher to dreaded serial killer |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mohan-kumar-to-cyanide-mohan-from-mild-mannered-school-teacher-to-dreaded-serial-killer-6479831/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
== Capture == In 2009, the police were looking into the disappearance of Anitha (22 years old), and her phone calls revealed more than what they were looking for. Her phone records showed that Anitha was in contact with another missing girl. Consequently, the authorities were able to track down a person who was using the girl's cellphone.<ref name=":0" />
The police discovered eight cyanide tablets, four mobile phones, and jewellery belonging to Anitha with Mohan. On 21 October, Mohan Kumar was apprehended. Following his arrest, the police not only charged him with Anitha's rape and murder but also chose to reopen the cases of 17 missing girls.<ref name=":0" />
== Trial == Upon his arrest in 2009, he was put on trial for two years before being convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Anitha in 2013. However, in 2017, the Karnataka High Court commuted his execution sentence to life imprisonment.
In 2020, he was found guilty of raping and murdering a 25-year-old woman from Kasaragod, his 20th murder conviction.<ref name=":0" /> ==In popular culture== In 2023, ''Dahaad'', an Indian police procedural crime thriller television series, Vijay Varma’s character is based on Mohan Kumar.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Dahaad' Review: Vijay Varma portrays 'Cyanide Mohan' with ease |url=https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2023/05/13/dahaad-review-vijay-varma-portrays-cyanide-mohan-with-ease.html |access-date=2025-10-22 |website=The Week |language=en}}</ref>
In 2025, Indian crime thriller film ''Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas'' was released. It is inspired by the life of Mohan Kumar. Jitendra Kumar played as the antagonist.<ref>{{cite web | last=Pande | first=Shreyas | title=Bhagwat Movie Review: Arshad Warsi and Jitendra Kumar bring quiet gravitas to a familiar crime story | website=Cinema Express | date=2025-10-16 | url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/hindi/review/2025/Oct/16/bhagwat-movie-review-arshad-warsi-and-jitendra-kumar-bring-quiet-gravitas-to-a-familiar-crime-story | access-date=2025-10-22}}</ref>
In 2025, in the Malayalam film ''Kalamkaaval'', the character of the main antagonist is loosely based on the life of Mohan, which is portrayed by Mammootty.
==See also== *List of serial killers by country *List of serial killers by number of victims *The Deadly Dozen: India's Most Notorious Serial Killers by Anirban Bhattacharyya
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Mohan}} Category:1963 births Category:2005 murders in India Category:2009 murders in India Category:Crime in Karnataka Category:Indian people convicted of murder Category:21st-century Indian murderers Category:Indian prisoners sentenced to death Category:Indian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Category:Indian serial killers Category:Living people Category:People convicted of murder by India Category:Poisoners Category:Prisoners sentenced to death by India Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by India Category:Violence against women in India