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Mohan Kumar (Cyanide Mohan) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth6 April 1963

Age60 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplaceKanyana Village, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka

ProfessionFormer Teacher

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseFirst Wife - Mary; Second Wife - Manjula; Third Wife - Sridevi

FamilyParents: Maielappa Mogera and Tukru; two brothers and a sister

Mohan Kumar (Cyanide Mohan) Biography

Mohan Kumar Vivekanand, commonly referred to as Cyanide Mohan, is a former government primary school teacher from Karnataka who was convicted for the rape,

Early life and background

Mohan Kumar Vivekanand was born on 6 April 1963 in Kanyana Village in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. He completed his schooling at a government school in Karnataka and earned a BA in Physical Education from Government First Grade College, Uppinangady. Belonging to a Dalit family, his parents worked as daily wage labourers. He has two brothers and a sister.

Before entering government service, Kumar participated in sports such as cricket and kabaddi during his school years. He later joined the government as a contractual primary school teacher at Shiradi Primary School in Kanyana in November 1984. Reports indicate he did not hold a Diploma in Education when he obtained the post.

Career

Kumar worked as a primary school teacher for many years. During his tenure he faced disciplinary action on multiple occasions; sources say he was suspended at times for inappropriate behaviour with students and for taking extended leaves. In 2003 he was reportedly arrested on a charge related to an incident at a river, an episode he later disputed.

Criminal investigations and conviction

In 2009 police investigations into a series of disappearances and deaths in Karnataka led to Kumar's arrest at a bus stand on 21 October 2009. Following his detention, he confessed to killing women using cyanide and became widely known in the media by the sobriquet Cyanide Mohan.

Police chargesheets and investigative material tied Kumar to a sequence of deaths spanning several years. Authorities alleged a pattern in which he targeted women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, posing as a prospective marriage partner, gaining their trust, and luring them to lodges and other locations. Investigators recovered items including cyanide powder and documents used to sell victims' jewellery.

A case alleging the murder of 20 women was brought to trial in a Special Trial Court in Mangalore in 2009. In December 2013 the Fourth Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru found Kumar guilty of the rape and murder of several named victims and imposed capital punishment for some counts, along with multiple prison terms and fines under related IPC sections. Kumar challenged that decision and in 2017 the Karnataka High Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment. Subsequent court action resulted in life imprisonment sentences and death sentences across various counts: he received death sentences for the rape and murder of four women and life imprisonment for the rape and murder of fifteen women. A local court handed a life sentence for the murder of what was identified as his 20th known victim in 2020.

Public profile

Kumar’s arrest and the details of the cases drew substantial public attention and media coverage. His background as a government teacher, the methods attributed to him, and the scale of charges made his case a focal point for discussions about investigative procedures and the handling of missing-person reports in the areas involved.

Personal life

Kumar married multiple times. He first married Mary in 1987, a relationship that began when she had been his student and later ended reportedly over a dispute about religion. He married again in 1992 and later married a third wife, Sridevi, who worked at a finance firm in Mangaluru. He is reported to have had two children with each of his wives. His family learned of his dual marriages after his 2009 arrest.

Latest updates

Following trial proceedings that began in 2009, significant judicial outcomes occurred in 2013 and 2017, and additional sentencing was recorded through 2020. As of the last reported court decisions in the available material, Kumar remains incarcerated under sentences that include life imprisonment and death penalties on multiple counts.
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Career Highlights

  1. Worked as a contractual government primary school teacher at Shiradi Primary School from 1984
  2. Arrested in October 2009 and charged in a multi-victim murder case
  3. Convicted in 2013 for rape and murder; initial death sentences were later commuted or resulted in varied sentences through subsequent proceedings
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Mohan Kumar (Cyanide Mohan) born?

6 April 1963

What is Mohan Kumar (Cyanide Mohan) known for?

Former Teacher

What is Mohan Kumar (Cyanide Mohan)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Mohan Kumar (Cyanide Mohan) married to?

First Wife - Mary; Second Wife - Manjula; Third Wife - Sridevi