How fake account, greed and superstition made Kerala couple sacrifice humans, indulge in cannibalism

Thiruvananthapuram: A criminal mastermind’s fake Facebook profile and a couple’s greed for wealth led to two gruesome murders that have sent a chill down the spine of Elanthoor, a sleepy hamlet in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.

On 11 October, police arrested Bhagaval Singh, a traditional healer and Haiku poet, and his wife Laila for allegedly killing two women on the advice of one Mohammed Shafi alias Rasheed who claimed the ‘human sacrifice ritual’ – which included the consumption of the victims’ flesh — would bring them money and prosperity. Rasheed, the alleged mastermind of the barbaric saga, has also been arrested.

The saga started when 59-year-old Laila, the second wife of 68-year-old Bhagaval Singh, came across a Facebook post which invited “those who are interested in prosperous life”. After the couple explored the post, Singh, popularly known as ‘Vaidyan’ among the locals, received a friend request from someone named ‘Sreedevi’ who claimed to be a fan of his Haiku poetry. Haiku is the Japanese name for a poem of 17 syllables that do not traditionally rhyme.

Singh and ‘Sreedevi’ started chatting online frequently and after some time had passed, the latter convinced the healer-cum-poet to seek the help of a ‘sidhan’(occult practitioner) named Rasheed from Perumbavoor in Ernakulam to gain vast wealth.

Little did Bhagaval Singh or Laila realise that ‘Sreedevi’ was none other than Rasheed alias Mohammed Shafi hiding behind a fake profile. After being ‘introduced’ to the couple by ‘Sreedevi’, Rasheed began making regular visits to Singh’s home in Elanthoor. To the locals, who held Singh in high regard, they just seemed to be regular visits for treatment. Soon, Singh, Laila and Rasheed formed a strong bond.

According to police sources, Rasheed put the first act of his plan in motion when he told the couple that he would need to have sex with Laila in the presence of Singh at their house, which was located in a secluded spot surrounded by other vacant homes. Blinded by the promise of wealth and money, the couple gave in. Police sources claimed Singh used to witness Rasheed performing sexual acts on his wife “with folded hands”.

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After more such visits to their home, Rasheed reportedly convinced the couple that they needed to indulge in “human sacrifice” to “wash their sins” in order to get wealthy.

The first victim for this ‘sacrifice’ was a lottery vendor whom Rasheed took from Kochi to Elanthoor on the promise of Rs 10 lakh for acting in a sleaze video. Police said the trio killed her on 8 June. The victim’s daughter lodged a missing person’s case at the Kalady Police Station on 27 August, but no progress was made till the last week of September.

Two months after the first murder, Rasheed told Bhagaval Singh and Laila that the goddesses are not satisfied and another ‘sacrifice’ must be made. This time he picked another lottery vendor, who originally hailed from Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu, to be the victim. Police said Rasheed followed the same modus operandi and brought the second victim, who lived in Ponnurunni in Kochi, to the couple’s house in Elanthoor. On 26 September, the trio allegedly killed her.

Police sources told News18 that Laila has confessed that she and her husband cooked and consumed the flesh of both victims since Rasheed told them that doing so would “preserve” their youth. The trio allegedly buried the mutilated bodies of the two women after the murders. When the first victim’s remains were dug out after the crime came to light, the body was reportedly missing a rib.

What landed Mohammed Shafi alias Rasheed alias ‘Sreedevi’, Bhagaval Singh and Laila in police custody was the swift missing person’s complaint filed by the second victim’s sister on 26 September, the day she was killed. The Kadavanthra Police swung into action and by 11 October all three were arrested.

The couple was arrested from Kochi, 120 km from their native Elanthoor. Shocked on hearing the gory details of the crime, the locals said they thought Singh alias ‘Vaidyan’ to be an activist of progressive political movements. They said he was known to be gentle and genuine among locals and was also popular in the literary circles for his Haikus.

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