Malkangiri: Bodies of a couple were found hanging from a tree at MV-42 village in Malkangiri district Thursday.
The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained.
According to a source, some local residents first spotted the bodies hanging from a tree near a temple in the village and immediately informed the police.
On reaching the spot, the police brought down the bodies and sent them for post mortem.
It is suspected that the couple had married at the temple the previous night. There was a freshly applied vermilion mark on the forehead of the girl. according to some villagers. While the reason behind the couple taking such an extreme step is yet to be ascertained, the villagers suspect they had died by suicide as they might have faced opposition from their families.
However, the police are yet to reach any conclusion. “We have launched an investigation into the case. We hope the post-mortem report will provide us a lead to help solve the case,” said a police officer.
At a time when there is an atmosphere of revelry to welcome the New Year, the couple’s extreme step sent a shock wave in the locality.
PNN