Pathanamthitta: Spinning the investigation into the Elanthoor human sacrifice case in a new direction, Bhagval Singh and his wife Laila, the second and third accused, have revealed that the organs of the victims -- Rosly and Padmam -- were preserved on the instruction of Mohammed Shafi, the prime accused.

As per the statement given by the couple, Shafi convinced them the organs could be sold in the market and that he promised buyers would come from Bengaluru.

Police are currently in the process of verifying the statements given by the accused.

The probe team had earlier revealed that some of the internal organs were missing from the victims' bodies. As deposed by Bhagval Singh and Laila, the organs were severed from their body and later thrown in a pit.

Meanwhile, forensic experts have revealed that Padmam's body parts were cut off scientifically before cremating. "Whoever did the job knew what they were doing. The knife has been used after carefully studying all the joints that can be separated easily from the body. Only those who know the anatomy of the human body can get it done without making much of a mess," said an expert.

The police said they do not believe Bhagval and Laila possess the skills to sever the body parts with such accuracy. According to the statement, it is Shafi who dismembered Padmam's body into 56 pieces. However, the police are not fully convinced of this either.