Kerala is the most educated state in the country. There was a change in the way of life, social environment and dressing style over time. Women came out from the kitchen and entered the arena. However, Kerala has not been able to wipe out superstition which is the biggest scourge of the society. This is something that should be taken very seriously. Kerala has not one, two or three people who have lost their lives because of superstition. Let's see which murders in the name of superstition shocked Kerala.

Human sacrifice in Idukki

The Sophia murder that shook Kerala took place on December 7, 1981. Sophia was killed in Panamkutty, Idukki at the age of seventeen. Behind everything was her love affair with Mohanan, who made a living by cutting reeds and weaving baskets. His first wife left him following which he started living together with Sophia.

A sorcerer made Mohan believe that if he performed human sacrifice, he would get wealth worth crores of rupees. He, along with his father Karuppan, mother Radha, brothers Unni, Babu and black magician Kalady Manickamangalam Bhaskaran decided to sacrifice Sophia.

Sophia was tied to a bench, half-naked. Mohan's younger brother stabbed Sophia to death with a sharp spear. She was then buried in the room. The accused were sentenced to life imprisonment. It is considered to be the first human sacrifice in Kerala itself.

Fifteen-year-old victim of human sacrifice

This human sacrifice also took place in Idukki. The incident took place on June 29, 1983. The ceremony was performed by the father and sister. Stories are that the ritual was performed to exorcise the ghost possessing the boy's sister, for a treasure etc. The accused were sentenced to life imprisonment.

1995 Ramakkalmedu human sacrifice

A schoolgirl was the victim of human sacrifice here. The father and stepmother offered the child to the sorcerers. The whole body of the child was brutally beaten with canes and stones.

Killings for questioning witchcraft (2012)

Christudas and Antony were stabbed to death at Poovar for questioning witchcraft. The two had come to question the accused after knowing that Christudas' relative who was a lady had committed suicide due to witchcraft. Six accused were given double life sentence.

Kicked to death during witchcraft

Haseena, a native of Karunagappally Thazhava, was kicked to death by a sorcerer. The police arrested the sorcerer Sirajuddin. The incident took place in July 2014.

Death of pregnant woman

Kanhiramukku Nissar's wife Harsana, who was five months pregnant, died in Ponnani during a black magic ritual. The incident took place on August 9, 2014.

Death of a family of four in Idukki

The death of a family of four in Idukki Kampakathanam took place on August 3, 2018. Krishnan, his wife Sushila and their children Arjun and Arsha were killed. They were killed by blows to the head and stabbing.

It was initially thought to be a murder during an attempted robbery. However, in the subsequent investigation, it was found that the murders were part of witchcraft. Krishna's assistant was arrested in the case. He believed that Krishnan had the power of 300 idols and committed the murders to take possession of it.

Thushara's murder

The brutal murder took place in March 2019. Karunagapally resident Thushara was tortured to death by her husband and mother-in-law as per the instructions of a black magician. Thushara was perfectly healthy at the time of marriage. However, her weight was only 20 kg at the time of death. It was said that the woman's body was possessed by a ghost

and the torture was done as part of exorcism. Thushara was given only sugar water and soaked rice.

Elanthoor human sacrifice

It has been only one year since the Elanthoor human sacrifice case, which shocked the conscience of Kerala, came to light. Rosli, a lottery seller, and Padma, a native of Tamil Nadu, became human sacrifices. Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila of Elanthoor, who practised traditional medicine, were convinced by a person named Muhammad Shafi that human sacrifice would bring prosperity to the family.

Shafi approached Rosli and Padma with enticing promises. They were then brought to Bhagaval Singh's house in Ilantur and sacrificed.

Rosli has been missing since June 8, 2022. The body was then cut into pieces and buried. There were also reports of body parts being cooked and eaten. All three accused are now behind bars.

Kattapana double murder

The police have not yet confirmed that it is a human sacrifice. However, it was confirmed that the accused Nitish befriended the victim's family by taking advantage of the superstition. Vijayan and his newborn grandkid were killed. The family consisted of two sons, Vijayan, a dairy farmer, and Suma, who worked at a shop selling appam in Kattappana. A family with an essentially stable financial environment.

Vijayan's daughter has hand tremors. Accused Nitish made the family believe that the woman had special abilities and that her powers would diminish if she interacted with others. He was the priest of the nearby temple. That is why the family immediately believed him and alienated themselves from relatives.

Even the locals did not know that the girl was pregnant from Nitish and a child was born. The newborn was killed on the fourth day of birth. The family then sold the house and land for a huge sum and left the place. The family lived in rented houses in various places after that. In the meantime, Vijayan was killed by Nitish. Vijayan's son Vishnu also helped the accused. The body was then buried in the room.

The dead body was folded in three, wrapped in a plastic wrap, placed in a cardboard box and seated in the pit. Although the police have not confirmed that witchcraft took place, the conditions in the house corroborate this.