An agent, who lured the women, and a Thiruvalla couple who committed the ritualistic murders have been arrested.
The couple, Bhagaval Singh and Laila, who are alleged to have killed two woman in a suspected human sacrifice ritual. (Facebook)
In a crime that has sent shock waves across the state, the Kerala police on Tuesday, 11 October, said that two missing women have been found murdered at Elanthoor village near Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district in an apparent case of “human sacrifice”.
The two women, both around 50 years, were apparently lured by an “agent” named Rashid, alias Shafi, and taken to Bhagaval Singh, a massage therapist, and his wife Laila, who allegedly conducted the gruesome ritual in the hope of “financial benefit”, according to the police.
The women, identified as Rosalyn and Padma, were lured, respectively, in June and September by Perumbavoor native Rashid and delivered to the couple’s home, where the murders took place.
“This is a shocking case which is not expected to occur in the state. We started investigating a missing case of a 50-year-old woman. The woman was missing from September 26,” Kochi City Police commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam told reporters.
He said the Kadavanthra police station investigated the matter and found that the woman had left with a man named Shafi from Kalady in Ernakulam, to Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta.
Kochi City Police Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam briefing reporters. (Supplied)
“We understand that this woman was murdered and it was done as a ritualistic human sacrifice. But we need further investigation to clearly understand the issue,” he said, adding that the second murder was unearthed during the police probe.
The police commissioner said that, according to the confessions of the couple, they murdered the two for the economic prosperity.
The first murder is said to have been committed in June and the second in late September. The victims, who were reportedly dismembered, were later buried by the couple.
A police team on Tuesday reached Pathanamthitta along with the convicts. The bodies are expected to be exhumed and sent for forensic examination.
The incident sent shockwaves across the state, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reacting to reports that the two women were disfigured and beheaded.
“Only those lacking a conscience could do something like this,” Vijayan said.
Dinesh, an assistant sub-inspector of Kadavanthra Police Station who was part of the investigation, spoke to South First.
“Two-three weeks ago a missing case was registered in this station. The person who was missing was Padma, a Tamil Nadu resident. Padma’s sister came to the station and filed the missing complaint,” he said.
“Padma used to sell lottery tickets near South Railway Station in Ernakulam. When we checked the CCTV cameras, we got an idea of the vehicle used to take her away and could reach a conclusion on the murderer.”
Dinesh also said that although the police had suspected Shafi of murder, he did not accept it untill Monday.
“He initially did not accept that Padma was with him. However, the CCTV footage contradicted his claims and he finally confessed to the crime.”
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