Police have launched investigations into the murder of two youngsters, allegedly by bootleggers, in Rohtas district late on Saturday night.

Family members of Anandi Kumar and Dilshad Ansari, neighbours at Muriyar village under Akaurigola police station in Rohtas district, around 165km west of Patna, have told the police that both men left home with Govind on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, the police recovered their bodies from a canal where other residents had seen Govind, an alleged bootlegger in the area, and his associate loitering earlier on Saturday.

"The bodies were found from a canal. A motorbike was recovered from the spot," said Akaurigola police station house officer Vivek Raj. "Prima facie it seems the duo were killed elsewhere and bodies dumped near the canal."

Both men were in their early 20s. Some residents who passed by the canal early on Sunday found the bodies and informed the police.

"While leaving the house on Saturday night, Anandi had told us he was going to watch a cultural show with Govind, who is engaged in bootlegging," Damodar, Anandi's father, told The Telegraph. "When he didn't return home, we started looking for him. In the morning, we received the shocking news."

Akaurigola block pramukh Santosh Paswan said the seized motorbike belonged to Ranjan Kumar, a resident of Gamharia village, and Govind's associate. He told the police of suspicions of their involvement in the murder because they were engaged in bootlegging and possibly the murdered duo posed hurdles in their path.

Mukhiya Bipin Gupta supported Paswan's claim, and said bootlegging went on unhindered in the region. Akaurigola is close to the Jharkhand border from where liquor consignments are dispatched, he added.

Initial investigation has revealed that Ranjan and Govind were spotted in the area on Saturday where Anandi and Dilshad's bodies were found. Ranjan, officers claimed, later took the motorbike from the spot and parked it at home from where it was seized. The key was recovered from the possession of one of the two deceased. "Ranjan tried to tamper with evidences to mislead the police," a resident said.

Agitated residents blocked the Dehri-Rajpur road near the Nawadih turning on Sunday and paralysed traffic for four hours. They demanded immediate arrest of the accused and compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families.

Dehri sub-divisional police officer Mohammad Javed Anwar Ansari tried to pacify the protesters, who had not allowed the police to take the bodies for post-mortem. They relented only after Ansari promised to book the culprits at the earliest.