Kerala HC dismisses bail plea of woman accused in human sacrifice case

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of the woman accused in the sensational human sacrifice case in which two women were allegedly killed in a brutal manner.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas rejected the plea for bail moved by Laila Bhagawal Singh, one of the three accused in the case, her lawyer said.
Details of the order are not available at present.

The case pertains to the abduction, murder, and burial of two women lottery vendors as part of a ritualistic sacrifice in the months of June and September by the three accused persons, namely, Muhammed Shafi alias Rasheed, Bhagaval Singh, who is also a massage therapist, and his wife Laila.

The counsel's lawyer Biju Antony Aloor contended that that the petitioner was only a spectator of the incident and there is no direct evidence connecting her to the case. However, it was opposed by the public prosecutor.

According to the police remand report, the victims were not only killed, their bodies were mutilated and chopped into pieces.

The chopped body parts of the deceased were exhumed from the premises of the couple's house at Elanthoor village in Pathanamthitta district on October 11, 2022.

The first woman went missing on September 26 and the probe led to Shafi.

On further interrogating him, police found that the trio had earlier murdered the second victim in a similar manner in June last year.
Both women - Roslin and Padma - sold lottery tickets to earn a living, police had said.

According to the remand report, Roslin was persuaded by prime accused Shafi after promising Rs 10 lakh to act in a porn film and brought to the crime site. The report also said it was Laila who murdered her.

Padma, who went missing in September, was offered Rs 15,000 for sex and lured to the couple's home by Shafi, according to the report.

While investigating Padma's disappearance, police found Shafi's involvement which led them to the couple. Only thereafter did the police come to know about the murder of Roslin in June by the trio.