In a shocking incident that is enough to benumb human conscience, two cases of suspected ‘Narabali’ (human sacrifice) as part of black magic ritual purported to bring prosperity and wealth to a family was reported on Tuesday from Elanthoor near Thiruvalla in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district.
The abhorrent incident unfolded after an investigation started on 27 September on a complaint that a woman from Kadavanthra in Ernakulam was missing. During an investigation on the missing complaint, the police found that two women were allegedly abducted, beheaded and buried as part of a suspected ‘witchcraft ritual’ for financial prosperity for a family at Elanthoor near Thiruvalla in Kerala’s  Pathanamthitta district.
The police have arrested a couple and a man, who claimed to be a sorcerer, in connection with the incident. The arrested accused are identified as Bhagaval Singh, an ayurvedic healer at Elanthoor, his wife Laila and sorcerer Mohammed Shafi alias Rashid, a resident of Gandhi Nagar in Kochi.
The two victims were severed into many parts and buried on the premises of Bhagawal Singh’s house. A police team is trying to exhume the body parts as per the information provided by the accused.
According to the police, two women, Padmam, 52, of Elamkulam in Kochi and Rosily, 50, a native of Vadakkencherry in Thrissur district, who was residing at Kalady in Ernakulam, were the victims. Padmam was a native of Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu and was staying in Kochi for the past 15 years.
The police said Mohammed Shafi had created a fake profile in Facebook and befriended Bhagaval Singh by introducing himself as Sridevi. He convinced Bhagaval Singh that there is a sorcerer named Rasheed in Perumbavoor who can perform black magic that will bring Singh prosperity and wealth.
Later, Bhagaval Singh contacted Rasheed using the contact number provided by Shafi. He never knew that the person he was chatting with and Shafi were one and the same.
Bhagaval Singh requested Rasheed to visit his house where the latter convinced Singh to perform human sacrifice to bring prosperity. He assured Singh that he will bring the people who can be sacrificed.
According to cops, Shafi took Padmam to the house of Bhagaval Singh and hit her on the head with a wooden log then. As she fell unconscious, Laila (Singh’s wife) slit her throat and inflicted a wound on her genitals. The blood was collected and smeared around the house. Later the body was severed into many parts and buried on the premises.
It is said Rosily was killed in a similar manner a month ago. This happened after Bhagaval Singh rang up Shafi and complained that there was no change in his life even after performing the sacrifice. Shafi advised to perform another sacrifice.
Shafi convinced Bhagaval Singh that the first sacrifice had cleansed him of his sins and another sacrifice will bring the couple wealth which Singh believed.
Shafi then lured Padmam who was a lottery ticket seller at Kadavantra by promising her Rs 10 lakh if she accompanied him to Thiruvalla to trick a rich person. Police learnt that he had approached many lottery sellers in Ernakulam with a similar promise before Padmam agreed.
The police had traced Padmam’s mobile phone signals to Thiruvalla and lottery sellers in Kochi gave cops clues about Shafi.
The accused have confessed to the crime. The police suspect that more people are involved in the crime.
Kochi city police commissioner Nagaraju said the main motive of the human sacrifice was the couple’s financial prosperity. “We have already got the confessional statements of the couple and the agent. The women were killed by the couple in a very cruel manner. The couple had been facing a financial crisis and they decided to sacrifice the women to appease God and come out of the crisis,” Nagaraju said. The bodies, reportedly chopped into pieces, were buried on the farmland adjacent to the couple’s house, he added.
Expressing shock over the incident, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the incident has shaken the progressive mind of Kerala.
“Only people with a sick mentality can do such things. Incidents of black magic and sorcery are challenges to a progressive society,” he said
The Kerala High Court, on Tuesday, expressed shock and disbelief at the news of ‘human sacrifice. Justice Devan Ramachandran wondered where the state was heading to,while referring to the incident. “Some of the things happening here are beyond the limits of absurdity. Today it is human sacrifice.