- Monday, March 10, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
A horrific incident of what is suspected as human sacrifices in India’s southern state of Kerala, known to be the country’s most literate, sent shockwaves across the nation on Wednesday (12).
Three persons were arrested by the state police for allegedly killing two women in the suspected case of human sacrifices to gain wealth.
The alleged murders took place in a remote village of the state and the accused included a couple. The victims’ bodies were chopped into pieces after the murder and even reportedly cooked and eaten, according to chilling reports. The victims, who earned by selling lottery tickets on the roads, were allegedly sacrificed by the accused reportedly to welcome prosperity.
2 women were killed by a couple who wanted to end their financial troubles and get rich. The couple believed the murders would bring them a prosperous life. I thought everyone was literate & intelligent in Kerala, and no one believes in black magic and human sacrifice!
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) October 11, 2022
According to a report in India Today, the body parts of the two women — Padma and Roslyn — were cut into pieces and buried underground. Blood was seen splattered on walls and floor as part of the horrendous ritual, it added.
Nagaraju Chakilam, the commissioner of Kochi City Police, said in a press conference that one of the accused in the case, Mohammad Shafi, was the mastermind behind the gruesome plot.
He said Shafi is a “pervert” and is also accused in a rape crime. He plotted the conspiracy and convinced the other accused that human sacrifice is necessary for their financial well-being. The other accused are Bhagaval Singh, an ayurvedic “healer”, and his wife Laila, BBC reported. It also said that Shafi is an “occult practitioner” from Kerala’s Idukki district.
Parts of Padma’s body were recovered from one of the pits while those of Roslyn were found from three other pits near the house where the incident took place. Chakilam said all the body parts were recovered and DNA tests will be held followed by a scientific investigation into the killings.
The police commissioner said that there is a possibility that the accused consumed the victim’s body parts which was yet to be confirmed. He said investigation was also underway to know whether there were more accused and more such incidents.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the crime had “shocked the human conscience” and that kidnapping and killing people for superstitious reasons was a crime “beyond imagination in a state like Kerala”.
On Wednesday, a court in the city of Kochi sent the accused to judicial custody for three weeks.
