Gruesome double murder stuns city

SURAT, Nov 19: In a case of double murder that took place during the early hours of Thursday on the outskirts of the city, two men, both res...

SURAT, Nov 19: In a case of double murder that took place during the early hours of Thursday on the outskirts of the city, two men, both residents of Uttar Pradesh and aged between 30 and 35, were murdered by unidentified people with sharp weapons, the police said.

While one of the deceased was beheaded, and his head thrown into a nearby stream, the other victim8217;s head was hanging by the skin, the police added.

Although the police are yet to establish the identity of the deceased or their assailants, Limbayat Police Inspector Chaudhary, categorically stated that the victims were murdered in cold-blood.

8220;Though it is yet not clear whether the two reached the spot willingly or were brought forcefully, they were murdered at the spot and had tried to resist the attack,8221; he said, adding that more than two assailants were involved and a personal enmity was the most likely reason behind the murders.

According to the police, they were informed about the incident by the villagers of Karadwa, about eight kms off Limbayat in the city. When the the police team, led by Chaudhary, reached the spot they saw the two bodies lying on their backs. The police also recovered four large knives, two of which were blood-stained and used in the crime.

The blood splattered on the road indicated a scuffle, experts said. Besides being hacked at the neck, the two were also stabbed in the abdomen, the police added.

The police also recovered a railway ticket from one of the victim8217;s pocket that was purchased from Lucknow to Surat. A few papers recovered from the pocket of the other victim had the names Ramkumar and Faisabad written on it. Besides this information, both the victims wore grey trousers, implying that they worked as labourers in a unit, the police said, adding that the tattoos inscribed on their bodies and their lockets revealed that they were Hindus.

Story continues below this ad

In their bid to identify the victims, the police are now planning to match the trousers with ones labourers wore in the area. Villagers, when questioned, said that they did not hear any noise and did not recognise either of the victims.

The bodies have been sent to the New Civil Hospital for a autopsy and reports are expected by Friday morning.