Kerala murders: Two women killed in suspected human sacrifice

[James]

Police in the southern Indian state of Kerala have arrested three people for allegedly murdering two women in a suspected case of human sacrifice.

The remains of the women, who were allegedly murdered months apart, were found on Tuesday.

Police say the accused - a couple and another man - "severely tortured" the victims before killing them.

They say they have confessed to the crime and an investigation is under way.

The accused haven't commented yet on the allegations as they are in police custody.

The gruesome case has made national headlines and shocked the people of Kerala - considered one of India's most progressive states.

Police say the accused are Bhagaval Singh - an ayurvedic "healer" - his wife Laila, and Mohammed Shafi, an "occult practitioner" from Idukki district.

On Wednesday, a court in Cochin city (now Kochi) sent them to judicial custody for three weeks.

Cochin Police Commissioner CH Nagaraju said the murders took place over four months and were suspected to be part of a ritual done for "financial benefits".

He added that the motive behind the murder was based only on a "preliminary assumption" and that they were investigating based on the confessions.

"Black magic" is still practised in some parts of India - people believe the rituals could bring prosperity, help childless women bear children, cure illnesses and even produce more rainfall.

Police say the accused allegedly lured the victims - who sold lottery tickets in Cochin - with the promise of money and allegedly beheaded them before chopping their bodies into pieces.

Human remains suspected to be of the women were exhumed near Singh's residence in Pathanamthitta district on Tuesday.

The DNA samples of the remains were sent for testing after the women's families failed to identify the mutilated body parts recovered from the pit.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the crime had "shocked the human conscience" and that abducting and killing people for superstitious reasons was a crime "beyond imagination in a state like Kerala".

Police have identified the victims as Padmam and Rosili.

Padmam, 57, came from Dharmapuram district and lived in Kochi, while Rosili, 49, was from Thrissur district and lived in the satellite town of Kalady.

Padmam's son had registered a complaint in September, saying his mother was missing.

Padmam had been living in a one-room dwelling in Kochi since February. "She lived alone but she would call me every night," her sister Palaniamma told the BBC.

So when Palaniamma did not hear from her sister for a few days, she decided to check on her.

"But when I went there [to the house] I found it locked," she said, adding that her sister's phone was also switched off.

Police traced Padmam's mobile phone to Pathanamthitta, about 113 km (70 miles) from Kochi.

They found that she had received several calls from one of the accused, Shafi.

They say Shafi's call records revealed that he had been in touch with Singh, who also lived in the same area.

When police questioned Singh, he admitted to the crime, they said.

Police alleged that further investigations revealed that Singh and his wife, along with Shafi's help, had also committed another murder - of Rosili - in June.

"I can tell you it's a very strange murder case," Inspector P Prakash told reporters.

"We are trying to confirm when exactly did each murder happen, and if there have been more victims."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-63224923

 

[Champ_Pal]

Blind faith leads to terrible results.

 

[MenInG]

The main accused in the murder and mutilation of two women in a case of "human sacrifice" in Kerala was a man who trawled social media for women and lured them to the house of the killer couple.
Muhammad Shafi, a 52-year-old school dropout, was the "agent" who supplied the two women to the massage therapist couple, Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila. Shafi was out on bail in a 2020 case involving the sexual assault of a 75-year-old woman.

Shafi found the victims Roselin and Padma on Facebook and allegedly drew them to the couple's house in Pathanamthitta. He had done so with other women in the past, the police said.

Shafi allegedly promised the women money for acting in a pornographic film. At the same time, he “advised” Bhagaval Singh and Laila to carry out a human sacrifice to end their financial troubles, the police said.

Roselin disappeared in June and Padma in September. They both sold lottery tickets in Ernakulam.

Padma was strangled, beheaded, and cut into 56 pieces by Shafi, the police said. The remains were kept in a bucket.

Roselin was strangled allegedly by Laila, and her breasts were cut off.

"Shafi committed acts of sexual perversion on the women. He supplied women for sacrifice and cannibalism to clients," said Kochi Police Chief CH Nagaraju.

One of the women was tortured with a knife, the investigations indicate. "It seems like human flesh was consumed," said Mr Nagaraju.

Shafi was "addicted to sexual perversion, delighted in cruelty, and was a psychopath", according to him.

“We're investigating whether there are more accused and if more such cases happened.”

The police were investigating the disappearance of Padma when they discovered the killings. The women's phones were traced to Shafi. He was tracked down with the help of security footage and a Scorpio car he had abandoned. Investigations led the police to the house in Pathanamthitta, where the couple confessed.

The police commissioner also referred to allegations of Shafi attempting to rape an elderly woman. The injuries she suffered were similar, he said.

NDTV

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Indiana Jones was the first I heard of black magic rituals in India, othewise I was blissfully unaware growing up. Only later I found out that people in some backwaters of India actually sacrificed children for a good harvest and other such stuff.

Surprised to see it in Kerala though, always thought that was one of the most laid back Indian States, but I guess you will find ignorance in every nook and cranny, wherever you are in the world.

 

[MenInG]

Hyderabad: Bhagaval Singh, one of the three persons in Kerala accused of torturing and killing two women and possibly eating their flesh in "human sacrifice", often posted poetry on Facebook, and described himself as "self-employed in alternative medicine".
Bhagaval Singh, 60, was well-known in the town as a social worker, always polite.

The traditional healer and poet, known to be "mild-mannered" by friends and neighbours, played a part in the grisly murders that have stunned the nation. The village Elanthoor in Pathanamthitta is in shock, replaying their interactions with the family, over and over.

The main accused is Muhammad Shafi, described as a "sexual pervert" and sadist who trawled the net for the victims and also convinced Bhagaval Singh and Laila to perform the "human sacrifice" to end their financial troubles.

A large crowd gathered around the home of Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila as the police investigated what could possibly be the worst killings in recent times.

"The couple was well educated, well to-do in our community. Nobody had a clue of this mindset. They did not seem to be the sort to stoop to such levels," said Usha, a neighbour.

He belonged to a respected family of healers.

"We never heard him speak to anyone in an agitated manner. His forefathers were very famous traditional masseurs. In the old days, people used to go to them instead of hospitals," said Anandan, another neighbour.

Bhagaval Singh was linked to the CPM, but the party denied he was a member. Locals said he was active in party work in the area.

His Facebook page was full of short form poetry labelled "Haiku", a Japanese form of poetry in which 17 syllables are arranged in three lines containing five, seven and five syllables.

Singh posted last on October 6, more than a week after the trio allegedly killed Padma, the woman seen on CCTV footage walking into their house.

He posted two cryptic poems in Malayalam. The last one read: "A furnace, blacksmith's wife at work, her body bent over."

Bhagaval Singh's bio says he studied at Kerala University and St Thomas College, Kozhencherry. His own descriptor said this: "Self-employed in the field of alternative medicine and Marma system of therapy which is well spread and accepted by people. I plant and nourish various species of herbs of great medical value. Under the supervision of academic personnel we treat accident born complaints, various types of arthritis, paralysis, born setting and after cure (sic)."

Kochi police chief Nagaraju told NDTV Bhagaval Singh was named after legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh by his progressive family, but the name got distorted.

He had more than 1,100 followers on Facebook.

Laila was his second wife. Singh had a daughter from his first marriage and their son, both working abroad.

The police say Shafi contacted Bhagaval Singh through Facebook, pretending to be an occult expert who could make him rich. Shafi allegedly lured the two victims, Roselin and Padma, to Singh's house.

Roselin was murdered on June 6 and Padma on September 26, according to the police. Their bodies were hacked to pieces and buried in the backyard of the house in Pattanamthitta.

When investigations led to Bhagaval Singh's house, the couple allegedly confessed to the murders. Singh reportedly showed where the women's remains were buried.

Padma was allegedly tortured with a knife and strangled. Her throat was slit and the body hacked into 56 pieces. Roslin was knifed in her private parts and killed. Bhagaval Singh is accused of chopping her breasts. The police said they are investigating the possibility of cannibalism.

The police are also investigating if Shafi is a serial killer. He was described as "a psychopath and a sexual pervert who delights in cruelty".

NDTV