Pilibhit : The partially eaten body of a 54-year-old woman was found in Budhiya drain near Kafara village under Dhaurhara police station in Kheri district on Monday morning, two days after she went missing. Police suspect she was killed in a crocodile attack.
“A crocodile lurking in the field might have attacked Ganga and dragged her into the deep waters of the adjacent drain,” he said. Dhaurhara SHO Dinesh Kumar Sharma told TOI that police and villagers jointly conducted a search for the woman when she did not return home that night. Given the presence of crocodiles in Budhiya drain, we suspect she was attacked by one,” he said.
“Her bag containing purchased goods was found near the waterlogged field along with a piece of flesh. Local resident Teerath Ram said Ganga Devi was returning home from the market, walking alongside a waterlogged agricultural field on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, North Kheri divisional forest officer Kirti Chaudhary said the process to award compensation of Rs 5 lakh would begin after confirmation of the woman’s identity through a DNA test. Stay updated with the latest Bareilly news.
Forest officials said they were not aware that the body had been recovered. “As the drain is deep and connected to Sharda river, it carries a heavy water discharge. Villagers alleged that forest personnel had failed to assist in the search. Download the TOI App.
A search using boats on Sunday yielded no result. The woman’s body was found on Monday and identified by her family members,” Sharma said, adding the body has been sent for postmortem. Dhaurhara forest range officer Ashok Shrivastav denied the allegation and said he was on leave on Monday.