Source – hindustantimes.com
Bihar police is struggling to identify two women, suspected to have been raped before they were murdered and set alight, nearly three days after the first half-burnt body was discovered.
A bullet ridden and half-charred body of a woman in her mid twenties was found in the Buxar district on Tuesday while another woman’s body, with her face burnt completely, was found in Samastipur district on Wednesday.
Breakthrough in both the cases remain distant since the victims were unidentified.
Sources say the police in Buxar are waiting for the forensics to confirm if the girl was gang-raped before she was shot from a close range. A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed under the Sadar DSP.
A case of murder, disappearance of evidence, crime with common intention and possession of arms has been filed against unknown assailants and a reward of Rs 50,000 announced to help identify the victim or the accused.
“The biggest challenge is identification of the body, as it will give investigation a proper direction,” said a police officer associated with the probe.
The cremation has been delayed by a day in the hope that someone may identify the woman.
“Around 10 people came to see the body, but none of them identified it. Therefore, we have decided to wait for another 24 hours,” said Buxar SP Upendra Nath Verma.
The mouth of the woman, whose body was found in a Tobacco field in Samastipur, was gagged with a piece of cloth and the face was charred beyond recognition. The woman was wearing bangles and had red dye (alta) on her feet, indicating she was married.
Samastipur SP Vikas Burman said police teams announced the recovery of the body in several neighbouring villages but could not establish her identity. There were no complaint registered of any woman of similar age missing during the period.
The two cases have led to protests by activists and some political parties in Patna.