Locals discovered the dead pair, believed to be in their mid to late 20s, in separate metal trunks in a public park, with woman wearing wedding bangles

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Police in a northern Indian state say they suspect a young couple whose bodies were found stuffed in boxes were victims of an “honour killing”.

Locals discovered the dead pair, believed to be in their mid to late 20s, in separate metal trunks in a public park in Haryana state, around 30 miles south of New Delhi.

Police said the man’s legs had been chopped off and put inside the trunk, while his partner was found wearing a set of glass bangles traditionally worn by newlywed women.

“It appears they were strangulated and dumped here later. They are yet to be identified,” the chief investigating officer, Praveen Kumar, said.

“It seems like a case of honour killing because the woman is wearing wedding bangles but we are not ruling out other motives,” he added.

India has witnessed “honour killings” – where couples are targeted because their families or communities disapprove of their relationships – for centuries, particularly in rural areas.

They are carried out by relatives or village elders to protect what is seen as the family’s reputation and pride in a hereditary-based caste system.