MEERUT/BAREILLY: In a rural patch of Bareilly district, a shadow of fear looms large as nine women have been found murdered over the past 14 months in chillingly identical manner. Spanning a 25km radius and encompassing villages under two police stations, these gruesome discoveries have revealed a disturbing but distinct pattern. The victims, all aged between 45 and 55, were found strangled in fields around noon, with their clothes dishevelled but no signs of sexual assault.
Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar told TOI on Wednesday, “Our teams have been investigating this case for six months and have not ruled out the possibility of a serial killer due to the nearly identical modus operandi behind the murders. Based on some leads, we have now released sketches of three suspects.”
The nightmare began in June last year when the first body was found, and the latest victim was a 45-year-old woman, found lifeless at a farm in the Shahi Sheeshgarh area on July 3. By November, the body count had escalated to eight, causing panic among residents. Three men were arrested but the murders continued.
The killings took a hiatus of seven months, only to resume with the latest murder on July 3. Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya said, “The pattern is clear — strangulation around noon, bodies dumped in farms, and post-mortem ruling out sexual assault. Our investigations, including electronic surveillance, have hit a dead end.” Officials are now scrutinising details of prisoners recently bailed or released.
Sharif Khan, Dharampura gram pradhan, said, “Despite constant vigilance, the killer remains at large. We have advised our women to move around in groups.”
Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar told TOI on Wednesday, “Our teams have been investigating this case for six months and have not ruled out the possibility of a serial killer due to the nearly identical modus operandi behind the murders. Based on some leads, we have now released sketches of three suspects.”
The nightmare began in June last year when the first body was found, and the latest victim was a 45-year-old woman, found lifeless at a farm in the Shahi Sheeshgarh area on July 3. By November, the body count had escalated to eight, causing panic among residents. Three men were arrested but the murders continued.
The killings took a hiatus of seven months, only to resume with the latest murder on July 3. Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya said, “The pattern is clear — strangulation around noon, bodies dumped in farms, and post-mortem ruling out sexual assault. Our investigations, including electronic surveillance, have hit a dead end.” Officials are now scrutinising details of prisoners recently bailed or released.
Sharif Khan, Dharampura gram pradhan, said, “Despite constant vigilance, the killer remains at large. We have advised our women to move around in groups.”