Gorakhpur (UP), February 7 An unidentified male body with multiple stab wounds and a knife lodged in its chest was found in a mustard field in the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Area, officials said on Saturday.
Police said empty liquor bottles and water pouches were recovered about 20 metres from the scene, suggesting that the victim may have been drinking with the assailants before a dispute broke out, escalating into a fatal conflict.
Forensic teams have also found signs of a struggle and other evidence at the scene, they added.
"Locals who were heading to the fields early in the morning spotted the blood-soaked body and alerted the police. Senior officers, along with a forensic team, reached the spot and collected evidence and fingerprints," a police spokesperson said.
Police said while earphones were found near the body, the victim's mobile phone is missing and investigators are probing whether the phone was taken as part of a robbery attempt, or removed to destroy digital evidence.
Superintendent of Police (North) Gyanendra Nath said the body has been sent for a postmortem examination.
"Our priority is to identify the deceased and trace the culprits. Multiple teams are examining all possible angles, including personal enmity and sudden provocation in an inebriated state," the official said.
