Police produces all accused in 'human sacrifice' case in court

KOCHI: The three accused persons in the 'human sacrifice' case were produced before a court here on Wednesday and police sought 10-day custody of all of them for questioning.

Bhagaval Singh, his wife Laila and Muhammad Shafi, who were arrested on Tuesday, were produced before the court.

In a case of suspected human sacrifice, two women were killed to address the financial issues and bring prosperity in the lives of Singh and Laila. The police sought 10-day custody of all the three accused persons for interrogation.

Advocate B A Aloor, known for representing the accused in several sensational cases appeared in the court for the trio.

"We have to understand what the truth is...I took over the case based on discussions with some of the persons related to the accused. Though I was initially approached to appear for the couple, I was asked to appear for the other person also later. So, I will appear for all three," he told reporters.

On Tuesday, senior IPS officer R Nishanthini said prima facie the crime was committed with an intention to settle the financial issues of the couple.

Quoting the accused, the officer said Muhammad Shafi alias Rasheed, who lured the hapless women and brought them to Singh's house, had contacted the couple through Facebook Messenger. The two victims, who made a living by selling lottery tickets, were suspected to be 'sacrificed'.

The chopped body parts, believed to be that of the deceased women, were exhumed from the premises of the couple's house at Elanthoor on Tuesday.

While a woman went missing in June, another woman disappeared in September this year and police investigation unravelled the killings, a case of suspected human sacrifice.