Madhya Pradesh: Partially charred bodies of 2 found, probe on

The partially charred bodies of a man and a woman were found tied in chains to a tree in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, police said.

The deceased, identified as Chotu Mishra (31) and Abhilasha Upadhyaya (30), were found chained to the tree in Sidhan ki Pahadi area of Lavkushnagar by local residents on Sunday morning.

Chhatarpur superintendent of police (SP) Agam Jain said, “The police are investigating the matter with the help of a forensic team to know whether it is a case of murder or suicide as the key of the chain was found near the bodies.” Their bodies have been sent for post-mortem and a report is awaited, he said.

Upadhyaya’s parents told police she had stepped out for grocery shopping on Saturday evening. However, when she did not return, they filed a missing complaint at Lavkushnagar police station.

Police officers said a preliminary probe revealed that the two deceased were friends despite objections from their families.

A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said the deaths could also be a the result of hate crime.

“The family members of the victims are being interrogated,” the officer said, seeking anonymity.