10 bodies recovered in 7 days, cops clueless

10 bodies recovered in 7 days, cops clueless
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 8
Recovery of about 10 unidentified bodies in the week preceding the elections from different canals, distributaries and secluded places in and around the district, has become a worrisome issue for all except the administration.
Recalling the past rural bodies’ polls, when a number of such cases were later traced to be the fallout of political rivalry, the large number of unidentified bodies being recovered during the pre-poll days has again led to speculations.
According to information available, besides others, activists of two active NGOs of Bathinda, Sahara Jan Seva and Naujwan Welfare Society, have recovered around 10 unclaimed and unidentified bodies from various canals, distributaries and other places. A body was even found hanging from a tree.
In the absence of immediate action from the administration, considering the decomposition of the bodies, the volunteers of the two NGOs, after informing the police, themselves cremated the bodies.
On May 1, volunteers of the Naujwan Welfare Society recovered the decomposed body of an unidentified man from Bhakhra canal at Khanauri head in Sangrur. On the same day, a brutally wounded body of an unidentified woman was also recovered in a semi-nude situation floating in Sirhind canal near village Madi of this district.
According to information available, the body had more than 30 wounds caused by a sharp-edged weapon. The body of an unidentified man in a semi-nude condition was found floating in a canal distributary near Raman Mandi of the district on May 2.
The hands, feet and neck of the deceased were tied and the body was wrapped in a blanket. Further, the decomposed body of woman (in her thirties) was found floating in Natt Bagher distributary, on the same day.
Then on May 4, Sahara Jan Seva volunteers recovered two decomposed bodies. One was aged about 40 and was recovered from the Bhakhra canal near Rodi village.
Another body, of a Sikh, was found from the Golewala head. On the right arm of the deceased, the initials RKD was engraved.
The same day, Naujwan Welfare Society volunteers recovered two decomposed bodies from the Bhakhra head and Siphon bridge. One of the bodies was tied with a nylon rope and was wrapped in a jute bag.
On May 6, a decomposed body was recovered from Gill Kalan bridge of the Rampura canal. Since it could not be identified, volunteers of an NGO cremated him this morning.
It may be mentioned that in most such cases, police has registered a case under section 174 of the CrPC and is said to have started inquest proceedings, but till date, none of them has been identified.