Two youths, carrying the body of a man wrapped in a polybag on a motorbike, fell on the ground when their bike skidded at an intersection in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.

The incident happened on Saturday.

Panic and fear gripped Azadnagar-Ghatauli intersection in the Khandasa area of Ayodhya when locals saw a human hand jutting out of the bag.

Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police Raj Karan Nayyar said two youths who fled the scene were later arrested. They were allegedly going to dispose of the body in a nearby stream.

“The duo had wrapped the body of Shaqib, 35, a resident of Parsauli village of Rudauli Kotwali of Ayodhya, in a polybag and were taking it on a bike. However, their bike skidded, and they fell. They fled the scene leaving the bag behind as they saw locals gathering on the spot,” said Nayyar.

The body had injury marks on the head, said police.

The SSP said the bike was registered in the name of the deceased who was an occultist. While his three brothers had died, his wife, too, had left him some time ago.

Ayodhya additional SP Atul Sonkar said the initial probe revealed that Shaqib was a paedophile. He was arrested two years ago and sent to jail for sexually exploiting minors. He was released on bail a year ago.

It is suspected that the arrested youths (whose identities have not been revealed yet) wanted to take revenge for Shaqib’s immoral acts.

The body has been sent for post-mortem and a detailed probe is on, he added.

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline.)