COIMBATORE: The decomposed body of an unidentified young woman was found in a naked state in a thicket near Coimbatore on Wednesday, prompting police to investigate whether she was sexually assaulted and murdered.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police G Karthikeyan rushed to a shrub-covered area near the Western Bypass Road at Sugunapuram on the Coimbatore–Palakkad Highway.
Police said the body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, making it difficult to ascertain the presence of any external injuries during the preliminary examination.
A sniffer dog squad and fingerprint experts were deployed at the scene as part of the investigation. However, the sniffer dog failed to provide any significant leads. The body was later sent to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for a post-mortem examination.
Investigators questioned residents in the surrounding areas but were unable to establish the woman's identity. As the body was found unclothed, police are exploring the possibility that she may have been sexually assaulted before being killed. Officials, however, said the exact cause of death and other details would be known only after the post-mortem report is received.
Police also noted that the woman had multiple tattoos on her hands, including names and symbols that may offer clues about her identity. Investigators suspect the woman may have been murdered elsewhere and her body dumped at the isolated location to conceal the crime. Further investigation is under way.