Hyderabad: People of Elanthoor in Pathanamthitta where the suspected human sacrifices took place are still in shock.
The couple Bhagaval Singh, one of the accused in the case, was a poet whose latest poem appeared on Facebook on October 6. He had more than 1,100 followers on Facebook, according to NDTV.
The haiku poem he posted on FB reportedly read: "A furnace, blacksmith's wife at work, her body bent over."
That was more than a week after his wife Laila, occult practitioner Muhammad Shafi and the poet himself allegedly killed Padma, one of their two victims, according to NDTV.
People in the neighbourhood say Bhagaval Singh, 60, came across as "mild-mannered".
Bhagaval Singh, who was a noted social worker with links to CPM which the party denied, was polite, hailing from a family of reputed traditional Ayurveda healers.
But people in the locality confirm that he was actively working in the party for the area.
Neighbours say the couple were well off and educated who never gave hints at their diabolical traits.
One neighbour identified as Usha said the couple never appeared to be the kind to stoop that level.
Bhagaval Singh's forefathers were well-known traditional masseurs and people went to them instead of going to hospitals in the olden days.
Bhagaval Singh never spoke to anybody in agitation, added Anandan the neigbour, according to NDTV.
His progressive family named Bhagaval Singh after freedom after Bhagat Singh before the name got distorted, according to to police chief Nagaraju
Laila was his second wife. His daughter and a son from the first marriage are both working abroad.
Bhagaval Singh, who called himself a self-employed in traditional therapy, said in bio that he had studied at Kerala University and St Thomas College, Kozhencherry.
Reports now say that the main accused Muhammad Shafi lured the couple through social media, and convinced them to perform human sacrifice for prosperity.