M. Jaishankar, widely known as “Psycho Shankar,” was born in 1977 in Kanniyanpatti village, Salem district, Tamil Nadu. He grew up in a rural, lower-income family and later married, reportedly fathering three daughters by 2011. He began his working life as a truck driver, frequently traveling along highways between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. This occupation gave him familiarity with remote areas, dhabas (roadside restaurants), and vulnerable women such as sex workers—knowledge he later exploited in his crimes.

Little has been recorded about his early childhood, but by his late twenties Jaishankar had transitioned from a driver to a violent predator. His mobility, knowledge of isolated locations, and use of intimidation tools (such as a machete he kept in a black handbag) allowed him to operate across state borders for years before his first arrest.

Between 2008 and 2011, Jaishankar embarked on a series of heinous crimes, primarily targeting women in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. His modus operandi involved approaching women in isolated areas, often near highways, under the pretext of seeking assistance or offering help. He would then sexually assault and murder them, sometimes using weapons like machetes. ​

One of his most notorious crimes occurred on August 23, 2009, when he raped and murdered a 39-year-old female police constable named M. Jayamani in Tamil Nadu. This particular crime intensified the police's efforts to apprehend him.

Jaishankar was first arrested on October 19, 2009, but managed to escape custody on March 17, 2011, during a court transfer. Following his escape, he continued his criminal activities, committing additional rapes and murders, notably in the Bellary region of Karnataka.

He was recaptured on May 4, 2011, after attempting to assault a woman in Karnataka, where villagers apprehended him and handed him over to the authorities. Despite heightened security measures, Jaishankar escaped again on Septem ber 1, 2013, from Bangalore Central Prison but was re-arrested on September 6, 2013.

On February 27, 2018, Jaishankar was found dead in his prison cell at Bangalore Central Prison, having committed suicide by slitting his throat with a shaving blade.