Kerala human sacrifice: Families unable to identify bodies, DNA test to be done

The body parts of the victims in the Kerala human sacrifice case that were recovered from Elanthoor in Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta have been sent for DNA test, since the families could not identify the mutilated and highly decomposed bodies. The bodies were severed into several parts and buried near the house of a couple for whom the ritual sacrifices were allegedly conducted. The police said that they were looking for other pieces of evidence like jewellery, because the bodies were not in identifiable form.

Two women- Padmam and Rosily- both lottery ticket sellers in Ernakulam went missing three months apart. While Rosily (49) who sold lottery tickets in Kalady went missing in June, Padmam from Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri sold lottery tickets at the South Railway Station in Ernakulam and went missing on September 27.

Both the women were befriended by Mohammed Shafi alias Rashid, who allegedly abducted them to sacrifice them in a ritual for a couple - Bhagaval Singh and Laila. Bhagaval Singh is a traditional healer, a haiku poet, and a former branch member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), Elanthoor. According to the police, Rashid had convinced the couple that human sacrifices would make them prosperous.

Shafi had created a fake social media profile under the name of Sreedevi and used it to contact Bhagaval Singh. He convinced the couple that a tantric could ensure his prosperity and suggested human sacrifice. Simultaneously, Shafi lured the women with the promise of Rs 10 lakh to act in a video.

The women were murdered just a day after their kidnapping and elaborate and cruel rituals were performed, Kochi Police Commissioner said. “They did cruel things to the two women, I cannot describe them. It will break the conscience of society,” Commissioner Nagaraju said.