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In a scary development, nine women in Uttar Pradesh's Shahi-Sheeshgarh area in Bareilly have been allegedly strangled to death since last year. The killer being on the loose has sent locals in the area in a grip of fear. According to police, all the murders have been perpetrated by the same person.
9 women strangled to death: Timeline of murders
1st murder- On July 22 last year, the first murder took place when Kusma from Khajuria village was killed.
2nd murder- The second victim in the series was Veeravati from Seva Jwalapur village, who was strangled on August 23 last year.
3rd murder- The third victim was Mehmoodan, an elderly woman, who was found in a sugarcane field on October 31, 2023.
Fouth and fifth murder- The fourth victim in the case was Dulaaro Devi, from Kharsaini village. Her body was found on November 20 the same year, followed by Urmila Devi from Jagdishpur village who was strangled with her own sari on November 26.
Sixth murder- Kalawati from Partapur village became the sixth victim in the series of murders. Her body was found in a forest on June 5 this year.
Seventh and eighth murder- The body of the next victim, Dhanwati from Kulcha village, was also discovered in a sugarcane field by the Shahi Road on June 19. On June 30, Premwati from Anandpur village, was also killed in a similar manner.
Nineth murder- The latest victim, Anita Devi from Haujpur village, was found strangled on July 2,
Women strangled in Bareilly: Investigation underway
Owing to lack of leads, Bareilly Range's Inspector General of Police Rakesh Singh is now directly leading the investigation. "All nine murders share a similar nature. The local police have not been able to crack the case, and this inactivity cannot continue," Singh said on Wednesday.
A year on, the Bareilly police has issued sketches of suspects on the basis of eyewitness descriptions.
"We have activated the circle officers of Meerganj and Baheri, and the sketches are being circulated throughout the area. We are receiving daily progress reports from both the circle officers and the station house officers," Singh said. Despite these efforts, the investigation has seen little progress.
"The sketches were released three days ago, but we have not received any significant leads yet," Singh said.
SP (Bareilly South) Manush Pareek said, "We are working tirelessly on this case. The identities of those who provide information will be kept confidential."
