Kin brings Padma’s remains back for funeral

KOCHI: The mortal remains of Padma from Dharmapuri, who was brutally killed and had her body cut in a shocking incident of human sacrifice in Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, was handed over to her family on Sunday.

Padma’s son Selvaraj told media persons that her funeral would take place on Sunday evening at their native Dharmapuri.

In the brutal crime, Rosalyn and Padma were killed by a group of three, including a woman. This was allegedly part of black magic for getting fortune for the couple Bhagval Singh and his wife Laila. The prime accused, Mohammed Shafi, had lured Roslyn and Padma to the residence of Singh and Laila, and they killed them in two separate incidents.

It was a missing person case lodged by the relatives of Padma, a lottery seller, that led to the tracing of her telephone number and reaching up to Shafi.

Padma’s family petitioned Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that her mortal remains be handed over to them so that they could give her a traditional funeral. Padma’s son Selvaraj had complained to the Chief Minister that he did not have ample money to survive in Kochi for the wait for the mortal remains of his mother.

Speaking to the media, Selvaraj said: “I am thankful to the Kerala government for handing over the mortal remains of my mother to our family. She will be given a honourable funeral at our hometown in Dharmapuri district today itself.”