The charred body of a 34-year-old money lender who had gone missing in North Dinajpur district was found in a haystack at a village on Saturday morning, along with his two-wheeler that was also torched.

Police have seized the body. The family of Bittu Khetri alleged that he had been murdered and set on fire with the two-wheeler in the haystack.

Residents of Dhoaroi, a village under the jurisdiction of Hemtabad police station in the district, spotted a blaze in a haystack near a pond on Saturday morning.

“We were out on a morning walk and saw a body and a two-wheeler burning. It seems he was murdered and then his body and the two-wheeler were set ablaze,” said Jainal Abedin, a villager.

Hundreds of villagers gathered on the spot. A team from the local police station also arrived.

Later, the deceased was identified as Bittu Khetri, a resident of Nurpur, which is around 15km from Deorai. Sources said Bittu’s shoes helped the family identify him.

Bittu, a private money lender, had been missing since Friday night, his brother Babon said. He had gone out of the house around 8.30pm on Saturday and did not return home.

“We had filed a missing diary at the police station last night. Today, we found his charred body and the two-wheeler,” said the brother.

“He used to lend money against interest and would also sell cars. A couple of days ago, he had an altercation with someone while he was talking over the phone. We have no idea what has led to the incident but we suspect he has been murdered. The police should find the truth,” Babon added.

Bittu, sources said, is married and his wife Ankita is pregnant. The couple have a five-year-old boy. The couple used to stay with Bittu’s parents. His father is a retired bank employee and mother is a homemaker.

Kuntal Banerjee, the additional superintendent of police (headquarters), Raiganj police district, visited the spot. The police have collected samples from the area for forensic tests.

“We will conduct a DNA test on the body to confirm the victim’s identity. The investigation has started,” said a police officer.