Kerala: 1,600-page Chargesheet filed in Elanthur human sacrifice case

Thiruvananthapuram: The police filed a charge sheet in the Elanthur human sacrifice case on the 89^th day of investigations, denying any chance of seeking bail for the three accused.

The 1,600-page chargesheet includes statements by 166 witnesses and seeks to establish the crime on the basis of scientific evidence. There are three accused in the case namely Muhammed Shafi, Bhagawal Singh and his wife Laila.

Charge sheet in the second case yet to be filed

The charge sheet says that the accused ate human flesh after brutally murdering the victims. The first charge sheet relates to kidnapping, torture and murder of a woman from Tamil Nadu who had been earning a living by doing odd jobs in Ernakulam.

The charge sheet says that Shafi convinced Bhagwal and Laila that a ritual of human sacrifice would bring them money and prosperity.

Charge sheet in the second case, involving similar crime against another victim, is yet to be filed.

Police has included WhatsApp chats and other digital evidence to establish their charge. There are no eyewitnesses in the case, but there are accounts of women who were approached by the accused for trapping them for conducting the barbaric ritual.

The charge sheet depends on scientific evidence, CCTV footage and circumstantial evidence to press their charge.

Police claim that it is a rarest of the rare cases and deserves nothing less than capital punishment.