Three persons, including two women, were brutally murdered in Rajaji Tiger Reserve Park and their bodies were found at Mayapur Western Beat of Haridwar range on Sunday morning. Both women were wood pickers and were used to going to the forest area for several years for collecting firewood. The whole area of Haridwar industrial area was gripped in fear with the news of this triple murder case.
According to the police, two women Sheela Devi,45 and Kanti Devi, 65 went in the forest area of Haridwar range to pick the woods on Saturday morning but did not return from the forest till evening. When the family members informed the police, the hunt ensued. The reason for the murder is under investigation by the police .
On Sunday morning bodies of Sheela Devi and Kanti devi were found in Mayapur western beat of Haridwar forest division. The police have also found another body of Ram Asre, 35 years from same location. All three had been murdered with the help of sharp weapon. Police have sent the bodies to the district hospital for autopsy.
Speaking to The Pioneer, circle officer of Haridwar Prakash Deoli said,“Sheela Devi lived in lodha Mandi Basti near Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Haridwar while Kranti lived in lal Mandir colony. Ram Asre was native of Jaunpur in UP. We did not find any weapon from the spot but the bodies have mark of making holes with some sharp weapon. A case has been registered and investigation is going on.” The spot where bodies have been found has a mausoleum (mazar) nearby so the finger of suspicion also points to the ‘Tantra mantra’ by some sorcerer since the age of the women is not that would indicate some killing after rape to wipe out the evidence say the sources.
It is not the first case when dead bodies were found in Haridwar range of RTR. Some days ago a body of 32 year old person was found hanging from the tree in the forest. Boundaries of Haridwar range are open and close to residential colonies. locals from slum use the forest area for open defecation since toilets is a rare commodity in these overpopulated slum colonies.
While the forest officers have the same old response of making boundary wall for safety purposes. “The localites never listen to our advice not to go to forest. A proposal has been sent for making boundary wall,” said DP Uniyal, Haridwar range officer of RTR.