Published Sep 12, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 12, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Keralam’s reputation as a highly literate state has not insulated it from crimes rooted in superstition and occult beliefs.
Synopsis: A study of four occult-linked murders in Keralam shows how greed, psychological vulnerability and social pressures can turn deeply rooted supernatural beliefs into a justification for violence. The findings come as the state moves closer to framing a dedicated law against black magic, sorcery and other inhuman practices, with an expert panel having finalised its recommendations.
With Keralam still waiting for a law to curb black magic, sorcery and other occult practices, a study of four murders linked to such beliefs has underlined how superstition can turn deadly when it intersects with greed, psychological vulnerability and social pressure.
The study, which examined four occult murders reported in Keralam between 2014 and 2022, found that the crimes cannot be viewed simply as acts committed in the name of supernatural beliefs. The cases point to a more complex mix of economic deprivation and greed, psychological manipulation, familial and social pressures, and cultural beliefs that give supernatural forces moral authority.
In the cases examined, the researchers found that material motives were given spiritual justification, with violence presented as sacrifice, purification, or divine necessity. The researchers argued that such crimes are not isolated aberrations but reflect wider social and psychological processes in which supernatural beliefs can provide legitimacy and meaning to criminal acts.
The findings are significant as the Expert Committee for Recommending Legislative Measures for Preventing Black Magic, Sorcery and Inhuman Evil Practices in Keralam is preparing to submit its views and recommendations to the state government, paving the way for drafting legislation.
The study called for a broader response alongside legislation, including better education, scientific literacy, community-level engagement and mental-health support. It argued that strengthening critical thinking and reducing the social acceptance of harmful supernatural beliefs are essential to preventing such crimes.
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Keralam’s reputation as a highly literate state has not insulated it from crimes rooted in superstition and occult beliefs, with a study examining four murder cases finding that greed, psychological vulnerability, social pressure and supernatural beliefs often came together to drive such crimes.
The study, ‘Occult Murders of Kerala: Case Studies on Supernatural Belief-Driven Murders‘ by SA Deepak and Jose Sancia of the National Forensic Sciences University, Gujarat, examined four cases reported in Keralam between 2014 and 2022 — the Thazhava exorcism case of 2014; the Nanthancode killings of 2017; the murder of a family of four in Idukki in 2018 and the Elanthoor twin human-sacrifice case of 2022.
The researchers selected the cases to identify recurring patterns in crimes involving supernatural or ritualistic beliefs. The researchers selected the cases after confirming clear elements of such beliefs and verifiable official records.
The study pointed to a striking feature common to the cases: occult beliefs did not necessarily replace ordinary motives such as greed or personal gain. Instead, people often gave these motives a religious or supernatural justification.
Economic pressure and greed, the researchers found, interacted with psychological vulnerability, manipulation and pressure from family or society. In this setting, acts of violence could be presented as sacrifice, purification or something demanded by a supernatural power.
The researchers described the four cases as evidence that occult murders should not be viewed merely as isolated incidents involving individuals with extreme beliefs. The crimes, they argued, reflected the wider social environment in which supernatural explanations can influence decisions and, in extreme circumstances, provide a justification for violence.
The authors described the study as the first attempt to examine occult murders in Kerala from a forensic and criminological perspective. By bringing together four cases over eight years, it sought to provide a basis for further research into crimes associated with superstition and occult practices.
The researchers said they chose Keralam because of what they described as a paradox: the state has high levels of literacy, yet beliefs in supernatural practices continue to find social space.
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The researchers pointed out that the four occult murders shared a disturbing common thread: crimes driven not by a single type of offender or mental illness, but by the belief that violence could serve a supernatural purpose.
The offenders, aged 28 to 68, were generally older than those involved in conventional homicides.
Economic distress, domestic tensions and social pressures formed the backdrop in several cases, while supernatural beliefs justified violence.`
Mental illness was documented in two offenders: one with schizophrenia (Nanthancode case) and another with paraphilic tendencies (Elanthoor case). But the other cases involved no such diagnosis. Instead, manipulation played a key role, with offenders convincing relatives or followers that ritual acts could bring prosperity, purification or relief from misfortune.
The study also found family and community ties crucial. Trust and dependence helped offenders to easily control victims, while gossip and unresolved conflicts often became part of the narrative used to justify the crimes.
Three of the four incidents occurred in rural settings where astrology, spirit appeasement and traditional healing continue to have social currency. Such beliefs, the study noted, can provide offenders with a ready-made framework to explain or legitimise violence.
Attempts to burn bodies, conceal remains or stage accidents further showed that offenders were aware of the consequences, even as they believed their actions were spiritually justified.
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Although the Kerala High Court has repeatedly flagged the need to tackle black magic, sorcery and other inhuman practices, the state has not yet brought in a specific law to prohibit such acts, leaving a legislation proposed years ago in limbo.
The Kerala Law Reforms Commission proposed the Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill in 2019.
The Kerala Law Reforms Commission submitted the Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill in 2019.
Despite recent government efforts to expedite the legislation, the proposed law has not yet been enacted.
The demand for a dedicated law gained renewed attention after the alleged human sacrifice of two women in Pathanamthitta in 2022.
The Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham subsequently approached the High Court seeking directions to frame legislation on the lines of the anti-superstition laws in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The government initially maintained that the absence of a specific law did not leave such offences beyond the reach of the existing legal system.
In an affidavit filed by the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, in July 2025, the state said provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, the Kerala Police Act, 2011, and other special laws could be invoked where such practices involved violence, exploitation, coercion or harm.
The state later told the High Court that it had proposed the Kerala Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices, Sorcery and Black Magic Bill, 2022, based on the Law Reforms Commission’s recommendations.
It also assured the court that it was taking urgent steps to expedite legislation in line with the laws in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The High Court continued to press the state on the issue.
In January, it asked the government to consider setting up a special cell to deal with offences involving black magic, witchcraft, sorcery and other inhuman practices.
Yet, nearly seven years after the Law Reforms Commission submitted its draft, Keralam still does not have dedicated legislation dealing with such practices.
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At the same time, the state’s move to bring in a law against black magic, sorcery and other harmful occult practices has moved a step closer, with the Expert Committee constituted by the state government finalising its recommendations for framing legislation.
Expert Committee’s Provisional Classification of Harmful Practices.
The committee, constituted in November 2025 on the directions of the Kerala High Court, has completed its report and is now awaiting an appointment with Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala to submit it formally.
“We have finalised the report. We will submit it to the Home Minister. We are waiting for an appointment. We will submit it very soon. A detailed recommendation has been drafted,” K Sasidharan Nair, member of the committee and Vice-Chairman of the Kerala Law Reforms Commission, told South First.
The submission of the report is expected to pave the way for the government to begin drafting a Bill to prohibit and prevent black magic, sorcery and other harmful, inhuman and superstitious practices in the state.
The two-member committee, headed by Nair and comprising Jacob Punnoose, IPS (Retd), former Director General of Police, was tasked with examining the social, legal and constitutional aspects of such legislation.
It was also asked to study laws enacted by other states and examine provisions in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Kerala Police Act, and other existing laws that address such practices.
Expert Committee’s Provisional Classification of Harmful Practices
The committee was further asked to consider the draft legislation earlier prepared by the Kerala Law Reforms Commission, chaired by Justice KT Thomas, in 2019.
As part of its preliminary exercise, the committee had identified 34 harmful practices and provisionally grouped them into three categories.
Category A covers severe practices involving grave bodily harm, sexual offences and life-threatening acts carried out in the name of black magic or sorcery.
Category B includes physical harm, coercion and degrading practices.
Category C covers fraud, deception, financial exploitation and digital manipulation carried out under the guise of occult practices.
With the committee’s recommendations ready, the next step rests with the government, which must examine the proposals and begin drafting the legislation.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
