In a distressing discovery, a couple who had ventured into a reserve forest to graze their cattle were found deceased under suspicious circumstances near Achelli village in the Sirpur T mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district on Thursday night.
Sources indicate that the bodies of the man and woman bore multiple severe injury marks on their heads and faces, leading investigators to strongly suspect they were mauled to death by wild animals, most likely sloth bears prevalent in the region.
Police have identified the victims as D. Sekhar, 45, and his wife Susheela, 39, both residents of Acheilli, a village situated on the fringes of the forest.
Their remains were transported to the mortuary at the Sirpur T mandal headquarters in the early hours of Friday for further examination.
Officials confirmed that a post-mortem examination was conducted later that day, and crucial samples have been dispatched to a forensic laboratory in Hyderabad. This analysis is expected to provide definitive answers regarding the precise cause of their untimely deaths.
A comprehensive investigation into this tragic incident is currently underway.