Kerala Human Sacrifice: Court Sends All 3 Accused To 9-Day Police Custody

All three accused in the alleged Kerala human sacrifice case have been sent to nine days of police custody, officials said on Thursday. The Perumbavoor Magistrate Court in the Ernakulam district sent Muhammed Shafi, Bhagaval Singh and Laila to police custody. 

Earlier, all three accused had approached the Kerala High Court challenging the order of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court of Ernakulam granting 12 days of police custody. They sought to set aside the order of granting police custody.

They also sought permission to meet their lawyer during the time of interrogation while also seeking direction not to allow the release of the details of their confession statement through the media.

Meanwhile, Kerala High Court dismissed the plea but granted them to meet their lawyer on every alternative day for 15 minutes.

While dismissing the petition, the court observed that "the gruesome murder of two women purportedly for human sacrifice, has shocked the people of Kerala."

The remains of two women--identified as Padma and Roslin-- were exhumed from pits near the residence of Singh and Laila in the Pathanamthitta district. 

The Kochi Police Commissioner had confirmed that they are interrogating the main accused, Muhammed Shafi, in a case of alleged human sacrifice where two women were brutally killed for a ritual after being lured for money.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)