Young couple found hanging in UP, mouths gagged

The couple, both in their mid 20s, were found hanging in Pipra village and were spotted by villagers who had gone to relieve themselves in the fields, police said.

The bodies of an unidentified man and woman were found hanging from a tree in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district on Thursday, police said.

The man and the woman - both in their mid 20s - were found hanging in Pipra village and were spotted by villagers who had gone to relieve themselves in the fields, police said.

Police fear that prima facie it appeared to be an honour killing.

The man was wearing jeans and a t-shirt while the woman was clad in a salwar suit and had vermillion on her head, hinting that the two might have married, apparently against the will of their families.

The victims were also gagged with a piece cloth stuffed in their mouths, police said adding they were trying to trace out the identity of the deceased couple.

Deoria is the parliamentary constituency of Union MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra.

Vijay Bahadur Pathak, BJP state spokesman while expressing concern over the incident, flayed the state government and said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had lost control over police and the bureaucracy leading to rise in crime, especially against women and children.

State BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai on Wednesday wrote to Governor BL Joshi seeking his intervention and urging him to send a report to the Centre over failing law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

He also sought dismissal of the state government and imposition of the president's rule in Uttar Pradesh.