Published Aug 19, 2026 | 9:48 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 19, 2026 | 9:48 PM
Hash oil was found in Shafi's possession.
Synopsis: One of the accused in the Elanthoor human sacrifice case was caught with six grams of suspected hashish oil while being taken back to prison after a court hearing in Kochi. Police suspect the contraband was handed over to him inside the court premises, raising fresh questions about security and the movement of undertrial prisoners.
A routine court appearance took an unexpected turn when police allegedly recovered six grams of suspected hashish oil from the possession of one of the accused in the 2022 Elanthoor human sacrifice case.
The incident took place on the evening of 18 August when the police officers tried to escort the undertrial prisoner back to jail.
The police said that they noticed suspicious behaviour by Mohammed Shafi and found six grams of hashish oil hidden in the dhoti.
The suspected hashish oil was allegedly found concealed in two small plastic bottles while he was being taken out of a court building at Panampilly Nagar in Kochi on Tuesday, 18 August.
The seizure took place at the Additional District and Sessions Court–5, which functions from the Kerala Housing Board building, where the trial in the sensational human sacrifice case is underway. The incident has raised questions about security at the court premises and the manner in which a high-profile undertrial prisoner allegedly obtained narcotic substances while being escorted by police.
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Shafi, 52, alias Manzoor, a native of Vengola near Perumbavoor, had been brought to the court from prison by the Kalady police for the trial. Co-accused Bhagaval Singh and his wife Laila were also produced before the court.
Mohammed Shafi
According to police, suspicion arose after the day’s proceedings when Shafi was being escorted downstairs towards the parking area to be taken back to prison. Officers accompanying him noticed that he appeared nervous and was repeatedly holding the folded portion of his mundu (dhothi) around the waist.
The police then searched him and allegedly recovered two small plastic bottles containing a total of six grams of suspected hashish oil. The substance was seized under a mahazar, and the matter was immediately brought to the notice of the trial court judge.
Acting on the judge’s direction, officers of the Ernakulam Town South police station reached the court premises. A personal search of Shafi was conducted in the parking area at around 7.35 pm. He was formally arrested at about 10 pm, according to the FIR, and was subsequently returned to prison custody.
The Ernakulam South police have registered a case under Section 20(b)(ii)(A) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, along with the relevant provision of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, based on a suo motu complaint.
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The preliminary investigation has led police to suspect that the contraband was handed over to Shafi inside the court complex.
Investigators suspect that two unidentified persons met him near or inside a restroom and passed on the two bottles. Police are now attempting to establish the identities of the alleged suppliers and determine how the exchange took place.
Investigators are also examining the security arrangements at the court building, including the movement of undertrial prisoners, escort procedures and access to areas such as restrooms. The circumstances surrounding the alleged handover are expected to form a key part of the investigation.
Shafi is the principal accused in the Elanthoor human sacrifice case, in which Rosly, a native of Alappuzha who was living in the Kalady-Mattoor area, and Padmam, a lottery vendor from Kadavanthra, were allegedly abducted and murdered in connection with a purported ritualistic human sacrifice. The alleged double murders took place in 2022.
According to the prosecution case, Rosly was taken to Elanthoor and killed, while Padmam was allegedly picked up by Shafi in a vehicle before being taken to the same location. Bhagaval Singh and Laila are the other accused in the case.
The trial is currently proceeding before the Additional District and Sessions Court in Panampilly Nagar.
With the alleged narcotics seizure taking place inside the court premises after a day’s hearing, the police investigation will now focus not only on the source of the substance but also on possible lapses that may have allowed it to reach an undertrial prisoner under escort.
(Edited by Majnu Babu)
