Were more than two women killed as 'human sacrifices'? Probe focus on forensic report, 'pervert' mastermind's history

Were more than two women tortured and killed as part of a gruesome human sacrifice ritual in a Kerala village? That was the question before the police on Thursday as experts began a forensic examination of decomposed body parts and the three accused in the crime were sent to police remand for another 12 days.

Police are also investigating whether Mohammed Shafi, the main accused in the crime, which has shaken the nation with its grisly details, was involved in other incidents, officials said. Bhagwal Singh, a massage therapist, and his wife Laila are the two other accused. Police said they need to check whether there are more victims of such horrific crime.

In its six-page remand note, which contains horrific details about the crime committed, police said the two women -- Padma and Rosli Verghese -- were lured on the pretext of sex with the former promised a sum of Rs 15,000 while the latter was offered Rs 10 lakh for acting in a porn film.

Arguing for continued custodial remand, police said since the accused had allegedly committed human sacrifice in the name of superstition, there were apprehensions they could be involved in more such crimes and even threaten the witnesses in the case.

In the shocking case, the women have undergone gruesome tortures as the breasts of one of them had been chopped off and the body of the other was cut into 56 pieces by the accused, according to the police remand report filed before a local court here.

The police has constituted a special team to pick up all the evidence available at the scene of crime as well as at the place where the body parts were found.

Besides, a psychological examination will be conducted on Shafi, city police commissioner C Nagaraju told PTI.

The case came to light after police started investigating a missing report filed by the son of Padma, 52, when she did not return home after several days in early September.

The last location of her phone was found at Pathanamthitta and on analysing it, police found there were many calls from Shafi, officials said.

A call data analysis of Shafi led the probe team to Singh, who after sustained interrogation, committed to the horrific crime, they added.

The investigators were baffled at the manner in which the crime was committed and the death of Rosli, a resident of Chalakudy, also came to light. She had disappeared in June.

The court granted 12 days custody to police for collecting evidence and further investigation into the incident.

In the custody application filed before a court here, police said the accused need to be further interrogated to probe whether there was any other reason behind the killing.

Sources said the forensic examination in the two cases was complicated as the bodies have started decomposing. The surgeon has been asked to provide a detailed report on the number of injuries on the body and the details on all internal organs of the victims.

Besides the identity of the victims, the forensic examination would help in establishing the injuries inflicted on the victims, officials said.

The bodies, which were exhumed on October 11, were brought to Kottayam Medical College that night itself. The DNA test will be conducted at a laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram.

The police' custody application on Thursday also said the accused need to be taken to various places in Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam districts as part of collecting evidence. The police also need to probe the classes taken by Singh and the sectors associated with him.

The chopped body parts of the deceased were exhumed from the premises of the couple's house at Elanthoor village in Pathanamthitta on October 11.

Police had said Shafi is a pervert and a sadist, with a mindset to cause injury, harm and death. "He will make up any story, trap anyone."

Shafi faces many cases, including theft and rape, against him. In one of the rape cases, a 75-year-old woman was sexually assaulted and was inflicted injuries on various parts of her body, in a chilling similarity to the latest fatal incidents.

According to the police remand report earlier, the victims underwent torture. They were tied to a cot before they were killed and the accused persons used a knife to inflict severe injuries on their private parts.

They were strangled by the accused before their chopped bodies were buried in the pits on the premises of the couple's house in Elanthoor village of Pathanamthitta district, it said.