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.
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