Kerala human sacrifice case: Police exhume 2 dismembered bodies as probe bears down on 3 accused

The forensic team is expected to examine and confirm whether the bodies belong to Padma and Roselyn.

‘We have found some weapons’

Deputy Inspector General of Police R Nishanthini stated that the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) inquest had been performed, and the forensic surgeons were on the site where the murder is believed to have occurred.

“We have found some weapons. There are many weapons here. The forensic experts will determine which ones were used in the crime scene,” she said.

According to her, the bodies were found in four different areas and were partially decomposed. She said the bodies needed to be cleaned for further analysis, and had been sent to Kottayam medical college.

Nishanthini also confirmed that Rashid gave the women some money and lured them to the location of the crime.

She told reporters: “We have understood that there were financial transactions involved for a long time, but we cannot conclude the exact figures from what the accused have to the police.”

She added that the investigation regarding the motive behind the crime, how Shafi lured the women to the crime site, and other details would continue.

‘Couldn’t identify mother’

Talking to Asianet News, Padma’s son Selvaraj said he spoke to his mother for the last time on 25 September.

“We just talked normally. She usually lets me know if she travels a long distance. She was not seen in her house the next day, so we filed a complaint at the Kadavanthra Police Station on the night of 27 September.”

Selvaraj lives in Chennai and earlier visited Thiruvalla twice with the police. He went along with the police as his mother’s phone signal was last active there. “We came twice and didn’t even get a clue. It was today the police told me they have a clue and needed to come here again.”

He added that he was unable to identify his mother as the body was cut into pieces.

Shafi, alias Rashid, the prime accused

It was due to the confession of Shafi that the Kadavanthra police, who were investigating a missing person’s case, unravelled the crime.

According to Nishanthini, Shafi was not cooperating with the investigations anymore.

However, the Kadavanthra police — who initially investigated the case — told South First that they had made further progress in the probe after obtaining the CCTV footage where Padma and Shafi were seen together.

Jose Thomas, a neighbour to Singh, told reporters that the Kadavanthra circle inspector “initially visited my home to enquire about the CCTV visuals of Shafi’s vehicle passing near Bhagaval Singh’s home”.

Thomas said he remembered Shafi’s face clearly, and would further identify him if asked by the cops.

According to the police, Shafi initially denied everything, but then confessed to the crime when the cops showed him the CCTV footage that contradicted his claims.

Meanwhile, the people in Perumbavoor who knew Shafi told reporters that he was an alcoholic and ran a rental service for the multiple vehicles he owned.

According to local reports, Shafi made a fake Facebook account under the name of “Sreedevi” to connect with Singh. However, it is not yet clear what factors made the three unite and commit the crime.

A basic assessment of Singh revealed that he was a poet who wrote Haiku, and was also a well-known face in his locality as well as in his Facebook circles.

He was a member of the Facebook group Malayala Sahithya Lokam or Malayalam Literary World, and is said to have been active on it. South First reached out to the administrator of the group, but the calls were unanswered.

NCW, Kerala HC weigh in 

The National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the issue.

NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma, in a letter to the Kerala Director General of Police, quoted a news report about the incident and stated that the crime was “dreadful and condemnable in strongest possible words”.

She added in the letter: “You are, therefore, required to look into the investigation of the matter personally and ensure that all the involved accused are arrested and the investigation must be fair and time-bound.”

The letter also directed the DGP to furnish a detailed action taken report within seven days.

The Kerala High Court also took note of the incident and expressed shock and disbelief over it.

The court made the remarks while discussing the reports with bar members.

A Live Law report quoted Justice Devan Ramachandran as saying: “Some of the things happening here are beyond the limits of absurdity. Today it is human sacrifice. I wonder where Kerala is going.”

Meanwhile, the murders have reignited the debate on the anti-black magic bill in the state.