Two arrested for double murder of women in West Bengal

Two persons were on Saturday arrested in connection with the murder of two women in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, police said.

The bodies of the women were found near a brick kiln on Friday with their clothes dishevelled, sparking speculations they might have been raped.

Based on an FIR lodged by the deceased's brother with Kultali police station on Friday evening, the women were identified as cousins, both aged around 30.

"One of the woman's in-laws have been arrested in connection with the case," Baruipur police district SP Rashid Munir Khan said.

A preliminary investigation found that she had filed a maintenance suit against her husband, who is prime accused in the case, and her cousin had visited her in-laws' residence in Uttar Budokhali village in Canning police station area on January 23, he said.

"Both the woman and her cousin were killed on the banks of Piyali river the same day and their bodies dumped near the brick kiln.

"We can confirm whether they were raped only after getting the post-mortem reports," the officer said.

A manhunt has been launched to nab the other accused, he added.