While many of these women killed people, the women that Ragavi and Nisha discuss are not all murderers, thank goodness. They vary their criminal stories to con artists, government frauds, and sex traffickers to name a few. Much better, right?! They learned that in order to have a credible true crime podcast, their information must be accurate, which can be difficult to access, especially in a country like India where documentation can be sparse and if it is documented, it may be destroyed. Like true researchers, Ragavi and Nisha are adamant the information can be verified and happily provide all essential references to their audience. But they have to be cautious and purposeful. With the political turmoil in India and safety of women uncertain, they are discriminant about the women they choose to highlight. Many are deceased or even prominent in Indian mythology or someone whose story is so appealing that it must be shared. Yet, each of these women has a compelling reason, at least in their minds, to commit these crimes. Did you know that Indira Gandhi, the first female Prime Minister of India, was found guilty of electoral malpractice? She was convicted, stripped of her parliamentary seat, unseated as Prime Minister, and barred from holding office for another six years. So, what did she do? In retaliation, she locked down the entire country for two years and passed an amendment to the brand-new Constitution which was to play favoritism to one political party. Unfortunately, for her, the high courts struck her appeals down both times. This is the first Prime Minister of India! Or that Cyanide Mallika is the first convicted woman serial killer in India who murdered at least six people? She was a poorer woman who had high aspirations to live a more lavish and elaborate lifestyle. She would prey on elderly women who were in distress and came to the temple to find solace and peace. Cyanide Mallika, whose real name was K.D. Kempamma, would befriend them, offer to do a “pooja” (religious ceremony) at a remote temple away from the city to rid them of the troubles and ask that they wear their most expensive clothing and jewelry. And then offered them “holy water” laced with cyanide. And that was that. Whew, this lady is scary! Or that Sarala Behn, born Catherine Mary Hellman, a Brit, was jailed for speaking out against the British as India fought for their independence? She was a follower of Mohandas Gandhi, the father of India and the leader of India’s independence in 1947. Gandhi gave Mary her Hindu name as she began to spend more time in his ashram, a religious
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