Kerala human sacrifice: CPI(M) says accused are not its active members
Pathanamthitta (Kerala) (PTI): The ruling CPI(M) has denied reports that two of the three accused in the human sacrifice case are its active members, terming them as "baseless."
CPI(M) District Secretary K P Udayabhanu said the couple, accused in the double murder case, are not party members nor do they have any post in the party or its associated organisations.
"The reports that the accused in the double murder case are active members of the CPI(M) are baseless. They are not party members nor do they have any responsibility in the party or in any of its associated organisations as claimed by the media houses," Udayabhanu said in a statement on Thursday.
Three persons -- Bhagaval Singh (68), a massage therapist and his wife Laila (59), along with prime accused Mohammed Shafi (52), were arrested after details of the gruesome murders came out on October 11.
Hours after the news of the double murder at Elanthoor near here came out, the Congress and the BJP attacked the ruling CPI(M).
Without directly mentioning media reports that Singh was a local activist of the CPI(M), Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan had said it was significant that one of the killers was an active worker of a political party, which claims to be progressive.
State BJP chief K Surendran had alleged that one of the killers was a CPI (M) activist and there was also the intervention of radical religious groups in the crime.
"The accused is said to have held significant posts in the Marxist party in the area. As per the local information, he is currently holding the charge of the party's 'karshaka sangham'. You can also see his Facebook posts praising Chief Minister Vijayan and Health Minister Veena George during their poll victories," Surendran had claimed.
The CPI(M) said it was a fake propaganda spread by the BJP and the Congress to tarnish the image of the party which is in the forefront fighting against irrational beliefs and superstitious practices.
Udayabhanu said it was the CPI(M) which first sought stern action against the culprits in the case.
Two women were allegedly sacrificed as part of black magic in Elanthoor village in Pathanamthitta district.
The hapless women, who had earned their daily bread selling lottery tickets on the streets, were allegedly butchered by the accused to settle the financial issues of the accused couple and bring prosperity in their life, police had said.
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Ashram Teacher, hailed as hero last year, booked for sexual abuse of minor boys
Ujjain: In September last year, a teacher at an Ujjain ashram “came to the aid” of a minor rape victim who was going door to door seeking help. The same teacher has now been arrested along with a caretaker for allegedly sexually abusing at least three minor boys at their ashram.
Three FIRs under relevant provisions of the IPC as well as under multiple sections of the POCSO Act have been registered by the police against the 21-year-old teacher, Rahul Sharma, and ashram caretaker Ajay Thakur. The police further informed that both have been sent to judicial custody, adding that there are many more victims who haven’t filed a complaint yet.
Ujjain SP Pradeep Sharma told The Indian Express: “So far three children have come forward and made the allegations. We have arrested two persons in this case.”
In September 2023, CCTV footage emerged of the minor girl, bleeding and partially clothed, after she was raped by an autorickshaw driver. The footage showed no one coming to her aid even as she walked around the area for an hour, with one resident even shooing her away.
Sharma had said he helped the girl after he spotted her outside the ashram. At the time, he had told The Indian Express: “This is a holy town, people here are supposed to be helpful, but no one helped her… there was no humanity.”
The police have ruled out any connection with the Ujjain rape case for now. “We sent through 200 CCTV videos and his role has so far been ruled out,” said a senior police officer. According to police, children from poor families were sent to be trained as pandits in this ashram, affiliated to the state Sanskrit board.
Around 10 days ago, a minor boy who was allegedly sexually assaulted by Thakur complained to his mother when he returned home. “The parents of the child came to the ashram. Then the ashram worker Thakur was sacked. Later, many more parents visited the ashram and levelled allegations,” said a senior officer.
The ashram authorities contacted police after several parents made allegations against Sharma and had a confrontation with the ashram official. An ashram official, Gajanand, said: “We called the police to help us but they arrested our staff. The allegations are false.”
However, the officer said: “When we arrived, we found that the ashram officials were the suspects. There are many more victims in this case and we tried to convince them to file a case. Policemen dressed in civil clothes also tried speaking to the children, but they refused as they were scared,” the officer said.
