PESHAWAR: Charred bodies of three women were found at an open space early Monday morning.

Police said they had reasons to believe the women had been murdered before being set on fire.

They added that after receiving information about a fire in the Chandmari area of Tehkal, a police team reached there. Police personnel found three charred bodies which were beyond recognition.

The bodies were shifted to the mortuary of the Khyber Medical College (KMC) for a forensic investigation.

Police investigator Riaz Khan told reporters that chemical was used to burn the bodies. He said the bodies were badly burned and at first it was difficult for the police to have any idea whether the victims were male or female.

But after a detailed investigation, forensic experts declared that all the victims were women aged between 18 and 25 years.

He believed that the victims were killed somewhere else and their bodies were later brought in the area and set on fire.

The investigator said local residents told police that they did not hear gunshots in the morning, but they saw the fire.

He said samples from the bodies had been taken and they would be sent for DNA tests.

An autopsy report by the KMC doctors would reveal the cause of death of the victims, he added.

The investigator said the bodies would be kept in the KMC’s mortuary and after DNA tests police would search for the relatives of the victims.

Police registered a case.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2016