UP: Police intensify hunt for 'serial killer' after 9 murders
The Uttar Pradesh Police is on the hunt for a serial killer who reportedly murdered several women in Bareilly in the last few months. According to reports, a total of nine women have been killed in the city since June. The most recent murder was that of a 55-year-old woman, whose body was discovered in Jagdishpur village on Sunday. The local police have advised local women not to venture out alone and to be in groups of three or four.
Know about Bareilly murders
As per police officials, the murders took place in various villages under the Shahi Police Station. It's also learned that the victims were strangled to death using a stole or saree while alone in jungle areas and farming fields between 11:00am and 5:00pm. The alleged serial killer also appeared to be targeting a specific age bracket, as all of the victims were between the ages of 50 and 65. However, none of them had been looted or sexually assaulted.
Police using drones for surveillance, combing operations underway
Providing details, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mukesh Pratap Singh revealed that drones are being used for aerial surveillance and combing operations are ongoing in jungle areas. "The most challenging aspect is identifying the suspects due to the absence of eyewitnesses in any of these incidents," he said. "The police are divided into different teams. They are manually verifying the credentials of people living in the region one by one," the Hindustan Times quoted Singh as saying.
Police conducting awareness campaigns among women
At the moment, it's still not clear if these murders are interconnected and if they're the work of an individual or different people. Residents, on the other hand, suspect the involvement of a psychopath in the area. To raise awareness, police personnel were conducting awareness campaigns among women in villages, Singh said.
Won't leave any stone unturned to stop these killings: Police
Additional Director General (ADG) Prem Chand Meena said that the police were trying to find a connection between the murders as they believed the same person was behind them. Another official said the police have found many similarities between the latest victim's case and the others. "We have asked the locals to immediately report to the police if they see any suspicious person," Meena said. He also pledged that no stone would be left unturned to stop these killings.
