Month Later, Family Of Kerala "Human Sacrifice" Victim Awaits Body

With little money left in hand and no succour from any quarters, the relatives of R Padma, one of the two women, allegedly sacrificed as part of a black magic ritual in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, have sought the intervention of Tamil Nadu and Kerala Chief Ministers in obtaining her mortal remains for the last rites.

Their stay in Kerala after his mother's death is becoming too painful emotionally and financially unmanageable, says Padma's youngest son R Selvaraj who is now staying with his aunt.

After Padma, a daily wage earner who sold lottery, went missing on September 26, her sister filed a complaint with the Kadavanthra police in Kochi the following day. Her family has been staying in Kerala since they were informed about her death hoping to obtain her mortal remains to perform the last rites in their native Errappatti village of Pennagaram taluk in Dharmapuri district.

"Me and my relatives have been staying in Ernakulam (Kerala) from September 27. We have not been given her body which is still in the Kottayam Medical College Hospital. Here, there's no food to eat, no accommodation and no one to help us," Selvaraj said.

Padma, who had been the sole breadwinner for her family, was murdered in the last week of September while the other victim Rosli was killed in June. The accused Shafi alias Rasheed of Perumbavur in Ernakulam and a couple Bhagaval Singh and Laila of Elanthoor confessed to the police about committing the murder.

"Already, we have been staying in Kerala for the last one month. The little money we had in hand dwindled and we are finding it difficult to manage without work," Selvaraj said.

"How long will it take to hand over my mother's body. Here, we have no money because there's no work. I humbly request you to intervene and ensure we obtain our mother's body without further delay," Selvaraj said in identical letters addressed to M K Stalin (Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) and Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala Chief Minister) on Saturday.

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