Bareily, August 8:  nine women of  similar profile were killed in a similar manner in barely over a period of fourteen months. This led the police to suspect that the crime might be connected to a serial killer. All the killings were made within a radius of 25 kilometres.  The victims, all between the ages of 45 and 55, were discovered strangled in fields around noon. Their clothes were dishevelled, but there were no signs of sexual assault.

The first body was discovered in June last year, and the fourteenth body was found on June 3 at a farm in Shahi Sheeshgarh, Bareilly. By November last year, the death toll had risen to eight, causing widespread fear among residents. Although the police arrested three men, the murders continued, as per a report by Times Of India. Bareilly Horror: Drunk Man Barges Into 85-Year-Old Woman’s House, Rapes and Murders Her in a Village in Hafizganj; Arrested.

Speaking to TOI, Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar said, "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 of the murders." Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya added that the pattern is clear, strangulation around noon, bodies dumped in fields, and post-mortem reports ruling out sexual assault. Despite their investigations and electronic surveillance, they have reached a dead end. Bareilly: Teenager Dies by Suicide After His Girlfriend’s Father Hurls Abuses at His Dad Outside Police Station in Uttar Pradesh.

Further, reports added that the investigative agencies suspect that the three arrested suspects might not be the true culprits, as the murders continued while they were in custody. Senior officials are now examining the records of recently bailed or released prisoners. With no progress on the cases, police have returned to traditional methods, releasing suspect sketches after interviewing farmers in 90 villages.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2024 10:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).