Naked corpses of Russian couple found in India's Himachal Pradesh, probe on

Dead bodies of a couple, suspected to be of Russian origin, were discovered near a small pond close to the sacred town of Manikaran in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, media reports said citing a Friday (Nov 17) police statement.

The bodies, found in Kullu district on Thursday (Nov 16), exhibited signs of injuries, prompting the authorities to consider the possibility of both suicide and murder.

The unidentified man and woman, both in their twenties, were found unclothed. Belongings discovered in close proximity led the police to speculate that the victims might be of Russian nationality.

The grim discovery was made within the vicinity of Tagri, near the Parvati river, approximately two kilometres from Manikaran. The woman's naked body was found inside a hot spring pool, while the man's body was discovered outside the pool.

Injuries seen on bodies

ASP Sanjeev Chauhan informed PTI news agency that the man had cut marks on his hand and neck, while the woman exhibited injury marks on her hand.

Although the injuries were not immediately fatal, the exact cause of death remains undetermined, media reports said.

A blade, a mobile phone, various personal belongings, and drugs were also recovered from the scene, according to Chauhan.

While the preliminary assessment leans towards suicide, the police are awaiting the postmortem report for a conclusive determination.

The bodies were sent to a regional hospital in Kullu, subsequently referred to the medical college in Mandi.

The victims, with swollen faces making identification challenging, are yet to be identified.

The police have summoned a forensic team to conduct further investigations at the site, and inquiries are being made at local hotels, homestays, and accommodations to gather additional information about the deceased couple.

(With inputs from agencies)