M Jaishankar, a 38-year-old dreaded criminal accused of multiple rapes and murders, has

allegedly committed suicide at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. The

pshyco serial killer was accused of raping 30 women and killing at least 15 people. And
targeting sex workers, various media reports say that Shankar used to take women to
isolated fields and then rape them before hacking them to death. Shankar was nabbed by
Tirupur police on October 19, 2009, after he raped and murdered constable M Jayamani.
It was only after his arrest that police realised that more than two dozen such complaints
were already filed against him. In a dramatic manner, he was able to make a successful
escape donning the police uniform on March 17, 2011. The 11 policemen deployed at the
prison were suspended on suspicion for allegedly helping Shankar’s escape. The police
has said that Shankar was kept in a separate cell with after he was arrested after
escaping from prison in 2013. Later in 2017, his story was narrated in a movie called
Physco Shankar.
Even after escape, Shankar went on with murders and rapes. Shankar allegedly raped
and murdered six women in Karnataka after the escape. The man was also accused of
killing a male and a child in Dharmapuri district. He was caught again near Bijapur on May
4, 2011. Shankar killed himself in a horrific manner. Apparently, the serial killer used a
shaving blade to commit suicide. The police suggest that he might have stolen the blade
from the prison barber.
Shankar was a native of Kanniampatty in Edappadi, Salem district. In his early days, he
worked as a truck driver after studying up to Class XII. Shankar knew Tamil, Kannada
and Hindi languages.
Shankar was immediately rushed to the jail hospital after his body was found lying
unconscious. However, he was later referred to Victoria Hospital, but died on the way in
the ambulance. Shankar was serving his 10 years term in solitary confinement. Police
have launched a preliminary probe into Shankar’s death.  The jail authorities have
rejected the possibility of an attack by some jail inmate.