Keonjhar, Oct. 4: Police have recovered the bodies of two sisters from a forest near Podanga village here and began a probe into what they believe to be a case of rape and murder.

Panchali Sahu, 20, and Sabita Sahu, 18, went to collect forest produce yesterday, but they did not return till late evening. “We got worried and launched a search for them. At last, we found their half-naked bodies lying in a pool of blood in the forest. It appeared that their heads had been smashed with a heavy object,” said Dileswar Sahu, brother of the victims. As the news of the death spread, tension prevailed in the area.

“On reaching the spot, we found the bodies bearing grievous injury marks. A hack and a pair of slippers were lying beside them. We have sent the bodies for post-mortem at district headquarters hospital,” said additional superintendent of police Dipti Ranjan Ray. The police said prima facie evidence suggested that the sisters were killed after being raped in the forest.

“We have pressed our scientific team into service and investigating several angles. It is a very sensitive case, and we suspect that two and more people are involved in this crime. We have not arrested anybody so far,” said Ray.

The police have registered a case under sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.