Gory details have come out from the sensational human sacrifice and black magic case from Elanthoor in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, pointing to a possible cannibalism angle.
Police are also not ruling out more such cases masterminded by main accused Mohammed Shafi (52).
A day after the arrest of Shafi (52), Bhagawal Singh (68) and Laila (58) in connection with “human sacrifice”, reports said the Singh couple consumed the flesh and blood of the two kidnapped women as a ritual connected with the sorcery. The two poor women Rosily and Padma were kidnapped by Shafi.
H Nagaraju, City Police Commissioner, Ernakulam, who briefed the media about the status of the case on Wednesday did not rule out such a possibility.
“There’s some information that the accused ate parts of the body after killing the victims. It is being investigated. We have to conduct DNA analysis and other scientific examinations before reaching a conclusion.
“We have seized a book on sorcery from the house of Bhagawal. The Special Investigating Team is probing all angles,” said Nagaraju.
The Police Commissioner disclosed that Shafi was a psychopath as well as sexual pervert. “He had molested and assaulted a 75-year old woman in Ernakulam district in 2020. Bhagwal and Laila told us that he inflicted injuries with a knife on the private parts of Rosely and Padma before he slit their throats and hacked their bodies into 56 pieces,” he said.
The remand report says Shafi who had lured Padma with the promise of lucrative assignment reached the house of Bhagaval Singh and Laila at Elanthoor around 4 pm on September 26.
“At the bedroom located in the central part of the house, Padma demanded money from the accused persons. Following the argument, they strangled Padma using a plastic rope.
When Padma became unconscious, she was shifted to another bedroom on the western side of the house. Shafi inflicted injuries on Padma’s private parts with a knife and then slashed her throat which led to her death. Later, the three of them cut Padma into 56 pieces using a cleaver and knives.
These parts were collected in a bucket and dumped at a pit which was dug up in the compound of the house at the northern side,” the remand report said.
In the interrogation, the three reportedly confessed to have similarly killed Rosily Varghese of Ashokapuram, Aluva in June. She, was taken to the couple’s house at Elanthoor on the promise of a role in a movie for `10 lakh. “Rosily’s hands and legs were tied to the bed in a room in the centre of the house. A piece of cloth was inserted into her mouth which was also taped with plaster. She was stabbed by Shafi and her throat was slashed. Later, her private parts were cut and preserved. The accused then cut up her body into several pieces and collected them in a bucket. The body parts were later dumped in a pit dug at the eastern part of the house,” stated the report.