9 murders in 14 months, same modus operandi: Is serial killer on prowl in UP’s Bareilly?

The gruesome murders of nine women in a similar pattern in a rural patch of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh over the past 14 months have sparked fears of a serial killer being on the prowl.

The victims were murdered in a radius of 25 kilometres in villages under two police stations.

Bareilly police have revealed a disturbing but distinct pattern, all the victims are aged between 45 and 55 and were strangled to death in fields around noon, most with their own saree. Their clothes dishevelled but no signs of sexual assault, the police said.

Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar did not rule out the possibility of a serial killer because of a similar modus operandi.

Speaking to English daily The Time of India, the DGP said, "Our teams have been investigating this case for six months and have not ruled out the possibility of a serial killer due to the nearly identical modus operandi of the murders.

The Pattern

"The pattern is clear, strangulation around noon, bodies dumped in farms, and post-mortem ruling out sexual assault. Our investigations, including electronic surveillance, have hit a dead end," Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya told the English daily.

Sketches Released

Sketches of three suspects have been released based on some leads, the UP police said.

They have also issued a list of phone numbers for people to call if they have any leads, including 9554402549 and 9258256969 for the office of the Superintendent of Police (South), Bareilly.

Meanwhile, fear and uncertainty have gripped these villages. Voicing the frustration of villagers, a gram pradhan said despite constant vigilance, the killer is at large. They have advised their women to move around in groups for their own safety.

The killings began in June 2023 when the first murder was reported, and the latest victim was a 45-year-old woman found murdered on July 3. The murders continued and by November, the count went up to eight. The trend paused for seven months and resumed with the latest murder on July 3.