An FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons. (Representational Image)
A 35-year-old migrant worker, who had returned from Mumbai last month and completed his home quarantine period two days ago, was found murdered in an empty plot at Kanshiram Colony in Unnao district on Sunday. This is the third such incident involving the murder of a migrant worker in the state in the last 10 days.
Police said that they suspect a family dispute behind the murder. The victim, Vijay Kumar, had a strained relationship with his family, the officer said. Citing an autopsy report, Unnao Superintendent of Police Vikrant Vir said the death occurred due to strangulation.
An FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons.
City Circle Officer Yadvendra Yadav said Kumar worked in a construction agency in Mumbai. He had returned to Unnao with his wife and two-year-old child returned in a private vehicle last month. Their quarantine period ended two days ago and since then, Kumar had started moving out, police said.
On Sunday morning, plot owner Satya Narain and his nephew Prajwal found a dead body with a piece of cloth tied around his neck. Station House Officer, Kotwali police station, Dinesh Chandra Mishra said the body was identified as that of one Vijay Kumar based on ID cards found on him. “The family has denied having dispute with any person. We are working on a few leads and will not share more details at this point of time,” said Mishra.
Similar incidents were earlier reported from Basti and Chitrakoot districts.
A group of assailants shot dead Ajeet Mishra at his residence at Chaukadi village in Basti district on June 12. Mishra, employed as an electronic engineer with a private firm in Noida, had returned home two months ago due to the lock down. He was shot dead and when he tried to protect his father from the assailants.
On June 6, another migrant labourer, Hemraj Singh, was killed allegedly by his brother Pushpendra Singh for demanding his share in ancestral property in Chitrakoot.
Hemraj worked at a saree manufacturing unit in Surat for around 12 years and returned home around three weeks ago. The body of Hemraj bore injuries with a sharp-edged weapon and was found in a field. Pushpendra and his friend Ram Chandra were arrested.