The mystery behind the case of the first known woman serial killer in India seems to get deeper with each day. On the day that Mallika, the alleged serial killer, was arrested by the Bangalore police, it was said that she had murdered six women and decamped with their jewellery.

However, with each day, the number seems to be increasing with three more families coming forward with a claim of knowing the woman. The police say there were reports of three more cases in which women were murdered for gain by Mallika.

The families of Tara (31), Jayamma (51) and Chandra (45) told the police that these women had gone missing. On being shown the photograph of Mallika, they identified the lady and said that she had stayed in their house before her disappearing act. The family members said that Mallika had gone to their houses on the pretext of solving certain problems. The three women were then taken to an undisclosed location, following which they never returned.

The police say that they have taken into account the statements of the family members and would probe further. The Bangalore police have now been able to confirm that the cyanide used by Mallika to kill the women was purchased from a goldsmith. They have not ruled out the involvement of another person in the offence and say that they are trying to find out the exact location from where the cyanide was purchased.

The police are now relying heavily on scientific methods to carry forward the investigation. The police will seek permission in court to subject Mallika to a narco-analysis test. They feel that such a test would help them find more leads into the case. The police decided to go this route after they found that Mallika was unwilling to divulge information and also trying to mislead the investigation.