India: Suspected human sacrifice as 2 women are found butchered in Kerala

The recent deaths of two hapless women have turned out to be a shocking incident of alleged human sacrifice for black magic in Kerala as police have taken three persons, including a couple, in custody in this connection on Tuesday.

The deceased women, who had earned their daily bread by selling lottery tickets onstreets, were allegedly "sacrificed" by the accused to settle their financial issues and bring prosperity in life, police said.

The two women's throats were slit and their body parts cut into pieces before they were buried in two different locations in Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district, police said, quoting the accused.

The victims, said to be in their early 50s, had gone missing in September and June this year, respectively.

The arrested persons were identified as one Bhagavanth Singh, a local massage therapist, his wife Laila, and Rasheed alias Muhammand Shafi, who was suspected to have brought the now deceased women to the house of the couple where the sacrifice was said to have been done.

"The third person had not only played an agent role, but was also instrumental in getting this done. He convinced the couple that this should be done," Kochi City Police Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam told PTI.

The senior officer said the trio are under custody now and a police team would soon reach Thiruvalla in Kerala to exhume the bodies of the deceased women.

"The bodies are not in one shape...they have been (cut) into pieces and buried," he said.

Further details can be divulged after the exhumation, inquest and post-mortem procedures, IG P Prakash said.

"Prima facie, it was a case of murder for financial gains through black magic and human sacrifice. Police will look into all aspects and details," he added.

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