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Bareilly: A shocking discovery by UP police about nine women who have been murdered in a rural area of the district in the last 14 months with similar execution manner has unveiled the terrifying possibility of a serial killer in the district of Bareily.
Trail Of Murders
A 45-year-old woman is the most recent victim on the trail; her lifeless body was discovered on July 3 by a farm in the Shahi Sheeshgarh area of the Bareily district. The first woman murdered in the pattern was discovered in June 2023. The number of murders increased to eight in November of last year, disturbing the locals. The killings persisted even after three men were detained as suspects.
The Pattern Of Murders
These horrific finds, which cover villages under two police stations and a 25-kilometre radius, have shown a startling but distinct pattern. At noon, the victims, who were all between the ages of 45 and 55, were discovered strangled in fields; they had no evidence of a sexual assault, and the victims were often strangled with their own saree or chunari.
Police Investigations
After interviewing few villagers, the police have released sketches of potential suspects across 90 villages, relying on the traditional method of investigation as they are unable to solve the case. The officers are now keenly investigating prisoners who have recently bailed out or have been released. Even after the surveillance, the murderer seems to be at large.
Official Statments
According to a report by Times Of India, Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar said on August 7, "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. Based on some leads, we have now released sketches of three suspects."
According to a report, Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya told Times Of India, "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."
Recent Incident
According to reports by PTI, Urmila Devi, the wife of a farmer in Jagdishpur, was collecting fodder for animals in the fields on the afternoon of August 4 when she became the latest victim. Her broken bangles were found 400 meters away from the village, and her lifeless body was soon discovered wrapped in a blanket. Police officials stated that she was reportedly strangled by her own saree and had injuries on the back of her head. This was the ninth such crime in the Shishgarh and Shahi Adi areas of Bareilly district in the last five months.
