With people jumping over walls, taking selfies, and doing live videos on social media, Elanthoor, once a sleepy village in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, has now turned into a tourist destination. Hundreds of ‘tourists’ throng one house in the village, belonging to Bhagaval Singh and Laila, where two horrific murders in the name of human sacrifice were committed. There are not many houses in the neighbourhood of Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila, accused in the case where two women from Ernakulam were abducted, physically tortured and brutally killed. People rush to see the couple’s house and the pits where they hid the body parts of the victims, which police later exhumed. Now, there are ice cream stands and lottery sellers outside the house, to cater to those spending the day there with family and friends.
Sasikumar and two of his friends came from Punalur in Kollam district to see the house. “This is the first time that we have heard of such an incident, so we just wanted to see the place. We were curious. Here, we are able to experience the horror. It’s a bit crowded now, otherwise it’s worth paying a visit,” he said.
Remya, a native of Ernakulam, had come to Pathanamthitta to visit relatives when the whole family decided to take a trip to Elanthoor. “When I saw the news, I really wanted to come see the place. Later, when I visited relatives, we all took a trip here. It is constantly crowded here. What happened is rare and unusual, which is why many wanted to see this place. Besides that, it's just a normal village, normal house, nothing special,” she said. Remya added that she wanted to see the house and the pits where the bodies were buried specifically. “I really wanted to go inside the house and go near those pits, take photos. But we cannot enter there, it's all sealed,” she said.
It was from the house of Jose Thomas, the accused couple’s closest neighbour, that police collected crucial CCTV footage. His statement had helped bring out discrepancies in the accused’s version of events. Ever since Bhagaval Singh and Laila’s arrest, Jose has not been able to live in peace. “From elderly people to youngsters, many people come here daily from all districts of Kerala. They come inside my compound as Bhagaval’s house and the pits are visible from one corner. They come here as there are police barricades all over. I always keep the gate open so that they don’t jump the wall. A few days ago some of them jumped through my wall and a portion of it broke. I still keep the gates open as I don’t want to disappoint them,” Jose told TNM.
He said that the one side of Bhagaval's house is covered with shrubs that have now been flattened and trampled over by the frequent visitors. Further, content creators on YouTube have also begun visiting the house and shooting videos there, according to Elanthoor residents. Pictures show people peeking over the compound walls and taking selfies, even braving the rains. During the weekend, a long line of vehicles were parked on either side of the road leading to the couple’s house.
There are also reports that a few auto drivers have begun charging Rs 50 for a “tour to the human sacrifice house”. “I saw an auto rickshaw with the board. I cannot blame them, a lot of people are hiring autos to visit this place,” Jose added.
While business around the ‘human sacrifice house’ seems to be booming, the people of Elanthoor are not happy with all the attention the village is receiving. “Elanthoor is getting famous for the wrong reasons. Our village has got its own cultural heritage. This is the birthplace of actor Mohanlal and freedom fighter K Kumar. The village has played a significant role in the cultural and political history of Kerala. But now everyone is rushing here, considering the house where two brutal murders happened as a tourist attraction. We are now ashamed to say that we are from Elanthoor,” Ashokan, a native of the village, told TNM. He added that the visitors are making up facts to embellish the horrific story of the double murders, which the locals do not appreciate.
The ‘tourist spot’ is where two women, Rosily and Padmam, were murdered three months apart, reportedly for ritual sacrifice for an educated couple’s ‘prosperity’. Both women were lured by Muhammad Shafi (52), the first accused, to come to the house of the second and third accused Bhagaval Singh (68) and Laila (59), under false premises. The women were subjected to excruciating torture before their death, and their bodies cut into many parts.