The dead bodies were cut into pieces and buried in different pits in the same property after sprinkling salt
The dead bodies were cut into pieces and buried in different pits in the same property after sprinkling salt
The police team investigating the murder of two women as “human sacrifices” here on Tuesday recovered the body parts of the victims from the premises of the accused couple’s residence near Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta.
Based on statements given by the accused, a police team searched the premises of the house where the accused couple – Bhagaval Singh and Laila – had been living and found the body parts of the victims buried underground. Besides the accused , Selvaraj, son of the victim, Padmam, and her sister Palaniyamma, were also present at the spot .
R. Nishanthini, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Swapnil Madhuklar Mahajan, Pathanamthitta District police chief, and S. Sasidharan, Deputy City Police Commissioner in Kochi, led the investigation. Forensic experts and officials from the Revenue Department were also present.
The investigation team exhumed as many as six body parts of Padmam while that of Roselin was recovered from another location close by. The discovered body parts would be sent for a DNA examination to confirm identity of the victims, officials said.
“The dead bodies were cut into pieces and buried in different pits in the same property after sprinkling salt. To mislead the investigators, turmeric saplings were planted over most of these spots’‘, said an official
Locals in huge numbers poured into the crime scene right from the moment when news broke about the couple’s arrest. The police, however, had already cordoned off the crime scene and the accused were brought to the crime scene amid heavy police security.
Among those who visited the location during the day also included P. Satheedevi, chairperson of the Kerala State Women’s Commission . “That women are ready to be enslaved, being made victims of superstition is a matter of serious concern,” she said.
“ It is so frightening to see that brutal acts including human sacrifice are taking place in a society like ours , which boasts of high educational standards. That the women are ready to give in to such superstitions too should be a matter of discussion’’, said Ms. Satheedevi.