Bhubaneswar: The bodies of a young couple, who had been missing for five days, were found hanging from a tree on a hillock in Odisha’s Kalahandi district on Thursday.

The deceased have been identified as Ajit Kumar Naik of Tendapali village under Kokasara police limits and Priyadarshini Naik of Kendumudipada in Dharmagarh town. The two were reportedly in a relationship.

Suspicion of murder has intensified following allegations that the victims’ hands were tied behind their backs and bloodstains were found on their bodies.

 As per reports, the couple went missing on October 17 during the Durga Puja festivities. Following their disappearance, their respective families lodged missing-person complaints at Kokasara and Dharmagarh police stations.

On Thursday morning, some local residents who had gone into the forest to collect firewood spotted two bodies hanging from a tree atop Bhandar Dangari hillock. The news spread quickly, drawing a large crowd to the spot. Family members of the deceased later arrived and identified the bodies.

Allegations that the victims’ hands were tied behind their backs and that bloodstains were visible on their bodies have raised suspicions about the circumstances surrounding their deaths. These details have fuelled speculation that the couple may have been murdered and their bodies subsequently hung from the tree.

However, it is yet to be established whether the deaths were the result of murder or suicide. The exact circumstances will become clear only after a thorough police investigation.

The incident has sparked tension in the locality, with the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths raising serious questions.