Kochi: The middleman in the suspected human sacrifice in Pathanamthitta had approached another woman who refused to go with him to Thiruvalla. Her statement to the police turned out to be the crucial breakthrough for in unearthing the dual murder.
Padmam and Rosly were found butchered and buried in Elanthoor on Tuesday. According to police, the women who were lured by middleman Shafi from Ernakulam were taken to Thiruvalla for sacrifice for the couple Bhagaval Singh and Laila.
Padmam's son filed a missing complaint in September last week. Following this, the police collected the statement of a co-worker of Padmam. Initially police did not get much information. However, when they told her that the last location of Padmam's phone was at Thiruvalla, she suddenly remembered that a man had approached her also with a job offer in Thiruvalla. It was Shafi and the woman already knew him as a businessman in the locality.
"Shafi said a couple in Thiruvalla has a huge plantation and other properties. He said we could get Rs 2 lakh from them and assured me Rs 1 lakh. But I refused the job," said the woman lottery seller from Kadavanthra. Padmam used to sell lottery tickets with her.
He promised money and property to convince Rosly, another victim, to accompany him to Thiruvalla, said police. The details of the double murder came out following the questioning of Shafi on Monday night. All three are under custody now.
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