'Sorceress', 3 others held for Kerala businessman's death
text_fields
Kasaragod: A Special Investigation Team of Kerala Police arrested a 38-year-old woman, suspected to be a sorceress, along with her husband and two other women in a case linked to the death of a businessman in northern Kerala, PTI reported.
A senior police officer stated that the alleged sorceress Shameema (38), her husband and two other women were arrested on Wednesday.
Their involvement in the death of M C Abdul Gafoor Haji, a Gulf-based businessman who owned several businesses, including supermarkets, was revealed through a scientific investigation.
The arrests were made on Wednesday night, according to the officer.
Haji, 55, was found dead at his home in Poochakkad in the early hours of April 14, 2023, the 25th day of Ramadan, when no one else was present in the house. His body was promptly buried due to the auspicious nature of the date.
Police stated that the motive behind the murder was Haji's demand for the return of approximately 596 sovereigns of gold, which Shameema and her group had taken from him under the pretence of using supernatural powers to double its volume.
The suspicion surrounding Haji's death arose when his relatives arrived at his house to inquire about the gold he had taken as loans.
It was discovered that 596 sovereigns of ornaments belonging to 12 family members were missing.
Upon noticing this discrepancy, Haji's son lodged complaints with the police.
As a result, the Bekal Police registered a case and began their investigation. On April 27, 2023, Haji's body was exhumed, and a post-mortem examination revealed head injuries.
Police stated that the woman and her husband gained access to Haji's family by performing sorcery rituals at his home.
These rituals, which included midnight invocations and the preparation of talismans, allegedly involved the woman claiming to channel the spirit of a Kannada-speaking girl named "Pathutti" to provide remedies.
The investigation revealed that the group had used similar rituals to deceive multiple victims, extorting gold and cash.
Police also recovered WhatsApp messages exchanged between the deceased and the woman, which showed that she had previously obtained Rs 10 lakh and gold ornaments from Gafoor Haji.
Furthermore, the accused reportedly charged Rs 55,000 for sorcery-related rituals involving gold-coloured paper talismans.
The investigation was conducted by an 11-member police team under the supervision of District Police Chief D Shilpa, led by DCRB Dy SP K J Johnson and Bekal Inspector K P Shine.
