Raman Raghav: A Man of Many Names & Even More Kill Counts

Raghav, the "Jack the Ripper of India", went on a killing spree for over 3 years, with 19 people attacked in 1965-66, and more killings in 1968. His gruesome crimes terrorized the nation and earned him a spot as one of India's most notorious serial killers.

Raman Raghav. Source: BBC

Raman Raghav, also known as "Psycho Raman," "Sindhi Dalwai," or even the "Jack the Ripper of India," was a notorious serial killer. He terrorized Mumbai in the mid-1960s. He is estimated to have killed at least 41 people. However, the actual number could be much higher. After all, many of his victims were homeless, so their deaths went unreported. Raghav's killings were often brutal, and he showed no mercy to his victims. He would beat them to death with a blunt object, such as a stone or a rod, and often mutilated their bodies even after they were long dead.

The mind of Raman Raghav was a dark and twisted place. He was known for his unusual behavior, which included talking to himself and hearing voices in his head. He believed that he was a reincarnation of a 19th-century saint. And therefore, it was his duty to cleanse the world of sinners. His killings were a way for him to achieve this goal, and he took pleasure in the gruesome nature of the killings.

Raghav's killing spree was a time of great fear and unease in Mumbai. As mentioned before, his victims were often people who were vulnerable and had no one to turn to for help. The homeless, the destitute, and the marginalized were low-hanging fruits for him. However, Raghav's killings were indiscriminate. Most of all, he would often strike without warning. As a result, people were afraid to walk alone at night. Also, the fact that the police were struggling to catch the elusive killer didn't help the case anyway.

The hunt for Raman Raghav became a top priority for the Mumbai police. They launched a massive manhunt. But Raghav wasn't a fish to be fooled easily. He would often break the pattern by moving from one place to another. Which, in turn, made it difficult for the police to track him down. However, eventually, he ran out of his luck. He was finally caught in 1968. How did he get caught? He just happened to catch the eye of a police officer who recognized him from a police sketch. Upon his surprising arrested, Raghab didn't even try to wiggle his way out. He confessed to the murders, showing no remorse for his actions.

If the crimes were not enough, the trial of Raman Raghav was a matter of pure mass scrutiny that captivated the nation. His behavior in court was bizarre, and he showed no respect for the judge or the legal system. Initially, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. But the sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. Raghav spent the rest of his life in jail. There he died in 1995.

Even after his death, Raman Raghav's legacy lives on in the annals of Indian crime history. Again, he is often compared to Jack the Ripper, the infamous serial killer who terrorized London in the late 1800s. However, unlike Jack the Ripper, Raman Raghav did get caught. However, the details of his childhood history (along with his true motives) continue to remain shrouded in mystery. What drove him to commit such heinous acts? Was he truly insane? Or was he a calculating killer who knew exactly what he was doing? We may never know the answers to these questions.

In conclusion, Raman Raghav was a man of many names and even more kill counts. His legacy as a serial killer is one that still haunts Mumbai to this day. His brutal killings of the homeless and marginalized were a dark reminder of the horrors that can be committed by one man. Raghav's twisted mind and bizarre behavior make him one of the most intriguing and terrifying serial killers in history. He is a reminder that evil can take many forms and that we must always be vigilant in the face of such darkness.