Kochi: The Kerala police on Tuesday nabbed three people suspected of abducting and murdering women from Kochi for black magic rituals.

Those in police custody are Shafi, a resident of SRM Road, Bhagval Singh, a native of Thiruvalla, and his wife Laila.

Police said Shafi lured the women to Thiruvalla where, as part of the ritual, they were beheaded. Police suspect the 'human sacrifice was for the economic prosperity of the Pathanamthitta couple. 

The details came to light during an investigation to trace 52-year-old Padmam, who had gone missing since September 26. She was a lottery ticket seller.

Her son, Selvaraj, alerted the police when he did not receive her phone calls for days on end. "My mother used to call me daily. But when that stopped I panicked. I came to Kerala and searched. When I could not find her, I filed a missing person complaint with the police," he told Manorama News. 

Padmam was a resident of Cemetery Junction, Elamkulam. Selvaraj said she was a lottery seller.

Her dismembered body was found near Aranmula in the Pathanamthitta district, where the woman's mobile signal was last registered.

The remains of 50-year-old Rosly from Kalady were also found during the search. Also a lottery ticket seller, Rosly had gone missing six months ago. A few of the body parts were found from Elanthoor too on Tuesday, while the police collected evidence with the accused. The body parts were buried close to trees under the accused's house at Elanthoor. 

Their bodies will be dug up on Tuesday. Police are interrogating the three accused to glean more details into the case.