Kerala human sacrifice case: Prime accused labelled a 'psychopath & pervert'
Darpan News Desk IANS, 12 Oct, 2022 11:03 AM
Kochi, Oct 12 (IANS) The Kerala Police probing the suspected human sacrifice case in Pathanamthitta district who arrested three persons in connection with the death of two women, has identified the prime accused Mohammed Shafi as a "psychopath" and a "pervert".
The couple which committed the heinous act have been identified as Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila, who used to run a massage centre near Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district at their house Shafi brought the two women to the couple's home in June and September, and they were brutally murdered by the couple.
Shafi has been named as the prime accused along with Singh and Laila.
Addressing the media in Kochi after the accused trio were produced before the city court which sent them to two weeks judicial custody, Kochi Police Commissioner C.H. Nagaraju said Shafi is a history-sheeter and is involved in a dozen cases registered against him in the past 15 years.
"Shafi has studied only up to Class 6 and did all menial jobs right from a driver to a mechanic to the one who runs a hotel. A rape case has been registered against him in the past when he raped a 75-year-old woman and also used a knife to make wounds in the private parts. We have found out that the same places were injured in the two women who were murdered apparently as a human sacrifice," Nagaraju added.
"It has now been proved that he (Shafi) is a psychopath and a sexual pervert, and the one who derives sexual pleasure and will go to any extent even to kill for it. He has been using a fake Facebook account and it says that if anyone has financial problems to contact him. That's how he befriended Singh and it took three years for him to win their confidence and trap them and the crime took place," the Commissioner said.
Responding to questions after reports emerged that the couple after murdering the two women as part of black magic had cooked and eaten their body parts, Nagaraju said for this to be proved there has to be a proper scientific examination as at the moment there is no evidence of it.
He added that the police have now constituted a special team and will seek the custody of the accused to ensure that the probe is completed.
Sidhu has urged the apex court not to punish him with a jail term in a 1988 road rage case in which he was let off with a meagre fine of Rs 1,000. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Gurnam Singh's family, submitted that he has moved an application seeking enlargement of the scope of the notice issued.
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The Indian Embassy in Kiev stated that the helpline numbers are being set up at the respective check-points to facilitate evacuation through the borders. These control rooms will be based in Poland, Romania and Hungary and they will be managed by the Indian officials posted in those countries.
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An official spokesperson said the affected people or their relatives could call from within Punjab on helpline number 1100 and others from outside India on +91-172-4111905 for seeking information in this regard.
