There are some names in the crime history of Rajasthan, whose stories even today make people shudder. One of them was Kanpatimar Shankaria, also known as the Hammer Killer. According to media reports, Shankaria had killed about 70 people between 1977 and 1978. He got the name Kanpatimar because of his use of a hammer for murder and the blow below the ear of his victims.

Was born in Jaipur

Shankaria was born in 1952 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. At an early age, he entered the world of crime and within no time his name became synonymous with fear. According to available reports, he started committing murders continuously at the age of 25.

It is said that his targets were often people who roamed or traveled alone on the streets late at night. He used to attack suddenly after seeing the opportunity and would leave from there after the incident.

Used to hide under blanket and attack suddenly

Shankaria's method of committing crimes was very dangerous. According to reports, he used to sit hiding on the roadside at night covered with a blanket. Whenever someone passed by, he would suddenly come out and attack with a hammer.

The target of his attack was often the area near the neck below the ear. Because of this method he came to be known as Kanpatimar Shankaria. His crimes had created such fear among the people at that time that people became alert even at the sight of a person covered in a blanket at night.

Confessed to police about murders

After the continuous murders, the police started investigating the case. The suspect's profile was prepared based on information received from eyewitnesses and survivors. The police investigation proceeded and Shankaria was eventually arrested.

During interrogation he confessed to several murders. There are slight differences in details regarding the number and duration of his murders in different sources, but a figure of around 70 murders appears in several reports. A recent book publisher's account also linked him to the murder of around 70 people in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.

Hanged at the age of 27

Shankaria was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. According to available records, he was hanged on 16 May 1979 in Jaipur Central Jail. At that time his age was only 27 years.

His behavior and alleged last words before hanging are also mentioned in many reports. It is said that while in jail, he regretted his actions and told others not to be like him.

The name is still recorded in crime history

The story of Kanpatimar Shankaria is a very horrific chapter in the crime history of Rajasthan. The pattern of his crimes, his series of murders at a young age and his subsequent punishment are still a topic of discussion for crime researchers.

Shankaria's story has also been presented again in Rakesh Goswami's book India's Most Dangerous Serial Killer, published in the year 2026, on the basis of police files, FIR, contemporary reports and interviews. According to the book's publisher, the case was to about 70 murders that took place in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana over a period of about 18 months.

Kanpatimar Shankaria may have died in 1979, but his name is recorded in the Indian crime history as one of those notorious criminals whose crimes had created fear among the people for an entire period.