Human Sacrifice Case | Kerala Court Denies Bail To Accused After Prosecution Says She Was Active Participant In Murders

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-VIII, Ernakulam on Wednesday dismissed the bail application filed by one of the accused, Laila Bhagaval Singh, in the Elanthoor human sacrifice case.

The JFCM-VIII, Ernakulam, Eldose Mathew, found favour with the submission made by the prosecution that the incident in the said case is one which has had no precedent in the State in the recent past. 

"The prosecution case is that the accused have murdered and mutilated two women as part of a ritualistic human sacrifice and dismembered their body and buried. This is a well orchestrated crime accomplished with well pre-planning and prior meeting of mind between the accused persons. All these facts are to be thoroughly investigated. The investigation of the case is in the preliminary stage. If the accused is released on bail at this stage, it will affect the progress of the investigation. There is also chance for her intimidating the witness, tampering with evidence in this case and being absconded. Moreover, the offence is exclusively triable with the Court of Session", the Court said. 

The Court also said that, "Considering the nature and gravity of the offence and the stage of the investigation, I find that the petitioner is not entitled for bail on the ground that she is a woman". 

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 and his wife Laila.

Laila in the bail application through Advocate Biju Antony Aloor had argued she was not involved in the crime, but had only been roped in on the basis of the confession of the first accused, Shafi. It was also submitted that in spite of the police having taken the petitioner into custody for a period of 12 days, no incriminating aspect could be found against her.

It was also contended that since the investigation was almost over, and since the petitioner had no criminal antecedents, and she was also willing to abide by any of the conditions imposed by the Court, bail may be granted. 

The Additional Public Prosecutor Anish M.C. on the other hand, contended that the petitioner is an accused in the case which could be classified as one of the rarest of the rare cases. It was argued that the petitioner had actively participated in the human sacrifice, and had slit the neck of the first victim, and also inflicted cut injury upon her groin to collect blood. The counsel submitted that her participation was evident in the second murder as well. 

The Kerala High Court had earlier, dismissed the plea moved by the three accused persons in the said case against the Magistrate Court Order granting police the custody of the accused for 12 days, on finding that the order had been passed by the Magistrate Court with great care and caution. The Court had, however, permitted the accused to meet their lawyer for 15 minutes every alternate day.

Case Title: Laila Bhagaval Singh v. State represented by Inspector of Police, Kadavanthara