KOCHI: Muhammad Shafi, the prime accused in the twin human sacrifice case, tried to mislead the police by claiming the involvement of his friend.
Muhammad Bilal, 26, an autorickshaw driver staying near Ernakulam bus station, was at the police station for two days after Shafi told the police that Bilal was behind the incident.
According to Bilal, he befriended Shafi at a bar near the KSRTC bus station last year. Bilal used to have his daily quota of liquor from the same bar near the bus station. “Shafi told the police that I had taken his car on rent on September 26 and I had taken Elamkulam resident Padmam to Pathanamthitta. I was at the police station for two days and they allowed me to leave after they got enough evidence against him. I never thought that he would trap me in the case,” Bilal said.
Bilal claimed that Shafi had told them about his criminal history including involvement in a serious case.
“He claimed that he was involved in several criminal cases. He also claimed to have several businesses. He runs a hotel near Shenoy’s theatre and owns a private bus named Adheens plying on the Fort Kochi-Aluva route. He also told us that he had a lorry which had national permit and two cars. But he lived in a rented house,” Bilal said.
Bilal said he did not know the women victims who were allegedly killed by Shafi. However, he came to know that Shafi had approached other lottery-selling women in the city as well promising financial assistance.
“A woman named Omana was approached by Shafi offering to arrange Rs 1.5 lakh for her but she did not know what she had to do to get the money. Maybe, she was also his target. The police should investigate all his financial deals,” Bilal said.
