People in serial killer's native village struck by disbelief

He was a charming glib talker who lured unsuspecting, gullible middle aged-women overwhelming them with his expressions of love, only to silence them for ever with the cyanide pill and making away with their jewels.

That the former teacher turned serial killer, Mohan Kumar, who had poisoned 19 women, including a Naxal, to death, had this sunny side to him was evident from reactions by villagers familiar with him at Deralakatte, Kanyana and Vitla.

Kumar, of Vitla in Dakshina Kannada district, who lived with his third wife in Deralakatte and second wife in Uppala, was arrested last week ending his five-year long elusive run.

"We just cannot believe that a man so dignified and respectable, who kept to himself and did not disturb a soul, could have committed the cold-blooded crimes", was the refrain of one of the shell-shocked villagers.

The mother of his third wife knowing only about his "good side" was numb with shock when told about his arrest and wants to be "left alone".

According to leading psychiatrists Dr MJ Thomas and Dr Vivek Benegal of Sagar Hospital and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences here "psychopath serial killers are generally loners but in some cases like this they could have split personality, one that is positive and good and the other which is dark and evil, hidden in the deep recesses of the mind which manifests in the form of gruesome crimes".

The modus operandi of Mohan Kumar, 46, who had various aliases,was to lookout for women past the marriageable age, desperate for a life partner. He used to befriend them and propose marriage "without dowry", police sources said.

He would ask the women to elope with him with the promise of tying the knot at a temple and cajole them to bring their jewellery along. But after having sex with them, the next morning he would give them a cyanide capsule, saying it was a ill to avoid pregnancy. Once the victims die, he would decamp with the valuables, including mobile phones, they said.

Kumar had used his victims' handsets and SIM cards, which provided the clue that led to his arrest, inspector general of police (Western Range), Gopal Hosur said.

According to Hosur, initially he used sleeping pills to drug his victims but when this plan backfired and one of the women threatened to expose him, he had to return the jewellery to the girl's family following a compromise.

Police sources said since five of victims are from Kerala, a special team would probe these cases.