The Bangalore police plans to conduct a narco-analysis test on Mallika alias Kempamma, the woman serial killer accused of six murders, as she turned out to be 'a tough nut to crack' by refusing to give details of her complicity in the killings.

The 43-year-old woman has killed six women since 1999. Her modus operandi was to trap women in distress and kill them using cyanide. After killing the women, she would decamp with the victims' jewellery.

However on the last occasion while she was trying to sell the jewellery, the police nabbed her. Police Commissioner N Achuth Rao said that she had murdered six women so far and three of them were killed in the past six months.

Mallika used to visit temples and pose as an ardent devotee. There, she would meet up women in distress and advise them on conducting prayers to overcome their problems.

The women would fall prey to her sweet talk and meet her in the outskirts of the city.

Mallika would first perform a mock prayer and then tell the ladies to drink holy water, which would be laced with cyanide.

Mallika took the crime route in 1999 after being abandoned by her husband, Hanumanthappa, who is a tailor by profession. She was into the chit fund business and was dumped by her husband after she incurred heavy losses.

Her first act of crime was on October 19 1999 when she murdered a 30-year-old woman in the outskirts of Bangalore. Mallika was once apprehended while trying to rob jewellery, but was released after serving out a six month term in jail.

The Bangalore city police have a tough case on hand as the alleged killer has been unwilling to give out information. The police say the suspect is trying to mislead the investigation.

The police also have their task cut out to find out where she got the cyanide. It is an expensive drug and is not easily available, they say. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sharat Chandra says that all efforts are being made to find out who has supplied the chemical.

Mallika told the police that she used to buy the cyanide from a gold smith. She also said that she learnt the art of killing a person with cyanide from watching movies.

The police say that they may subject the suspect to a narco-analysis test to elicit more information. They feel there is more to the case and there is every possibility of more people being involved.

Mallika on her part seems to be very proud of herself. She told the police that killing a person did not require a great deal of intelligence. She also told investigators that she always told her victims to wear jewellery. She said that she told the women that the Goddess would be angry if they didn't wear jewellery.

Mallika's family, although shocked with the news, have no sympathy for her. They term her as a greedy woman who wanted to make money even if it meant cheating other people, adding that she should be hanged to death for her crimes.

Her husband says he should have killed her a long time ago. "There were people who were pestering us for the money my wife had cheated them off. Even when she was into the chit fund business, she had cheated many people. I planned to kill her one night, but I changed my mind and asked her to leave the house instead.

This case is not only a challenge for the Bangalore police, but it will be an interesting subject for the forensic sciences department. The department has researched several cases pertaining to serial killers, but this will be a first of its kind as it involves a woman.