The body of a builder from Maharashtra was found in Khargone district; it was partially and decomposed. He had gone missing for a couple of days.  The police are suspecting he was murdered.

The deceased has been identified as Kishore Lokre, a builder from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, Khargone Superintendent of Police Dharamraj Meena said.

The half-burnt body was found in a forested area on Daurwa-Binjalwara road under Sanawad police station area, about 75 km from the district headquarters, on Wednesday, he said.

The man seems to have died 10 days back and the body has been bitten by animals as well, he said.

Lokre’s family members approached the MIDC Waluj police station in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on October 3 after he went missing. A case was subsequently registered, he said.

The official said as per the Maharashtra police, Lokre went to Mumbai on September 17 for his work, but instead of returning to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, he went to Bhusawal (in Jalgaon).

After that, he headed to visit Omkareshwar (temple city) in MP, Meena said.

The Maharashtra police found his last location in Deshgaon area of MP’s Khandwa district on September 27, after which his mobile phone was switched off.

Meena said the investigations suggested the man was strangled to death. After this, an attempt was also made to burn the body, he added.

The body was handed over to the family late Wednesday night.

The Sanawad police in Khargone on Thursday registered a murder case against unidentified culprits, the official said.

According to police sources, Lokre had a penchant for searching buried treasures.