Himachal: Chamba man murdered, body chopped into pieces

Himachal Police have recovered chopped body parts of a local youth dumped in a stream in Bhandal village under Kihar police station

Tension continued to prevail in the villages of remote Salooni subdivision in Chamba district four days after the police recovered chopped body parts of a local youth dumped in a stream in Bhandal village under Kihar police station.

Police said the motive behind this murder may be linked to a love affair. (Representational Photo (Getty Images/iStockphoto) )

The victim, identified as 21-year-old Manohar Lal, had gone missing on June 6 while returning from a hill-top camp where the villagers keep their cattle in summers.

His body parts were recovered three days later buried under stones at three different places in a water stream.

Chamba superintendent of police (SP) Abhishek Yadav said the motive behind this murder may be linked to a love affair. Police have arrested a man in the case and detained his two sisters.

The accused belong to a minority community which has led to communal hatred being flared up on social media. Police have formed a peace committee and urged locals to maintain harmony, refrain from spreading unverified information and to allow the legal process to take its course. Meanwhile, the community has ostracised the family of accused and condemned the murder.