But what next? Police do not seem worried about the next course of legal action. What they are trying to find out is whether she committed similar murders, and if she was involved in any other offences - as there is a gap of eight years between the first murder and the second.

This was quite evident when the top brass of the City police addressed the media.

Mallika committed her first murder in 1999; her second was in November 2007.

What was Mallika doing during this period? Did she commit similar murders? Was she involved in other offenses? And if not, why she did she keep away from crime? What suddenly drove her to killing? “We have to concentrate our investigation on these angles,” joint commissioner of police (crime) Gopal B Hosur said.

“Mallika single-handedly committed the murders, carrying them out in a methodical way. She would never return to the same temple where she had already committed a murder. Therefore, we have to probe this thoroughly,” Hosur added.

Word of caution
All six of Mallika’s victims were killed in cold blood. Innocent devotees easily fell prey to her tactics as they wanted get rid of their problems.Mallika exploited their problems to achieve her goals. Such women may be aplenty in and around temples. And many women may derive inspiration from her tale. Therefore, citizens should be very cautious if some one approaches them claiming to solve their problems by way of conducting poojas. They should also thoroughly check the background of women whom they employ as house maids, DCP (West) KV Sharat Chandra said.

If the public knows Mallika, or have come across similar murders of elderly women, they should immediately contact the Kalasipalya police station and share information, the DCP  requested.

Mallika purchased the cyanide from a gold polishing shop on Old Kasai Road recently, for a sum of Rs 200.
She went to the shop when the owner was away. She told the owner’s son, aged around 10, that her husband was suffering some ache and she wanted cyanide.

She told him that his father had promised her to give it. Mallika used the same for killing all five victims, the investigating officer said.

The trap
Reading the news of the murder of Nagaveni (30) in Doddaballapur on December 18, Kalasipalya inspector SK Umesh took personal interest and followed up on the case. He collected information and came across details about the murders of Elizabeth, Yashodamma, Muniyamma and Pillamma.

 He then suspected the involvement of one person in all the murders as the modus operandi was similar. He went through the call details - both cellphones and landline - of the victims.

Mallika had called the victims several times from different numbers. With the help of some other details, which the police declined to disclose quoting technical reasons, they nabbed Mallika.

What is cyanide?
Cyanide is a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that can exist in various forms. Cyanide can be a colorless gas, such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or cyanogen chloride (CNCl), or a crystal form such as sodium cyanide (NaCN) or potassium cyanide (KCN). Cyanide prevents the cells of the body from using oxygen. When this happens, the cells die. Cyanide is more harmful to the heart and brain than to other organs because the heart and brain use a lot of oxygen.

Symptoms
Rapid breathing, restlessness, dizziness, weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid heart rate.
Exposure to a large amount of cyanide leads to convulsions, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, loss of consciousness, lung injury, respiratory failure leading to death.

Four murders in 8 days
*Oct 29, 1999: Thrust cyanide into Mamata’s (30) mouth, while she was praying in Hoskote
*Nov 01, 2007: Thrust cyanide into Elizabeth’s (52) mouth, while she was sleeping in Sathnur.
*Dec 10, 2007: Thrust cyanide into Yashodamma’s (60) mouth, while was  praying in Kyathasandra.
*Dec 15, 2007: Thrust cyanide into Muniyamma’s (60) mouth, while she was fast asleep in Yediyur.
*Dec 17, 2007: Thrust cyanide into Pillamma’s (60) mouth, while she was praying in Maddur.
*Dec 18, 2007: Strangulated Nagaveni (30), thrust cyanide, while she was praying in Doddaballapur.

HIGHLIGHTS
*Murders in rapid succession, four in just eight days.
*nCyanide used as chief weapon to eliminate.
*Never bothered about dead bodies, no clues left.
*Police suspect many murders, thefts and cheating from 1999 to 2007.
*All murders committed outside Bangalore City.