Roslin and Padma -- the two victims of "human sacrifice" in Kerala -- were knifed in their private parts, after which their throats were slit, police sources have said, revealing details of the horrific murders that have shocked the country. The main accused is Muhammad Shafi. The police said he is a psychopath and sexual pervert, who planned and executed the murders, roping in a couple -- Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila -- promising them financial gains through ritual killings. The police said they are also investigating the possibilities of cannibalism being practiced.
Kochi police commissioner C Nagaraju told NDTV that there was "some inkling that they consumed human flesh but we are yet to get evidence of it". Off the record, officers said Laila Singh has claimed that they consumed the flesh of the women, but there is no independent evidence of this yet.
The police was investigating the case of a missing woman when they zeroed in on Shafi, through the mobile location of Padma. They got their first clue from CCTV footage. In it, Padma was seen crossing a street and getting into a White Scorpio car on September 26, the day she went missing. CCTV trail from roadside cameras led them to the to the house in Pathanamthitta, where Bhagaval Singh and Laila lived.
On October 9, CCTV footage from the house of their immediate neighbour, Jose Thomas, showed the Scorpio. Padma was also seen entering the house. The house was immediately placed under surveillance and later the couple was taken for questioning.
That was when the police discovered the murder of Roselin, who had been missing since June.
The police said Padma was taken to Pathanamthitta by Shafi, who had promised her Rs 15,000 for work in a pornographic film. When she asked for money after reaching the house, an argument started. The accused then tied to strangle her with a nylon rope.
When she fell unconscious, Shafi inserted knife into her private parts and later slit her throat. Her body was beheaded, chopped into 56 pieces and buried in a pit in the garden.
Roselin, the police said, was promised Rs 10 lakh for work in pornographic films. After being taken to the Pathanamthitta house on June 6, she was trussed to the bed by hands and feet. She was told it was part of the film's script. Then Laila inserted a knife in her private parts and later, slit her throat, the police said. Bhagaval Singh chopped off her breasts. The body was then hacked into pieces and buried.
The police said Shafi had lured the couple, promising them that the murders would bring them a prosperous life. The police said the 52-year-old had a long rap sheet that included rape of a 75-year-old woman in 2020. She survived, but the injuries she suffered are similar to the murdered women.
The police said they are now investigating if there are other victims as Shafi is exhibiting the patterns of a serial killer.
The three have been accused of criminal conspiracy, abduction, murder and destruction of evidence. They have been sent to judicial custody for two weeks.
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