A 30-year-old Ludhiana man was found murdered and his dismembered body was recovered from a vacant plot near Jalandhar Bypass on Thursday morning, police said.

Davinder Singh, 30, was found murdered and his dismembered body was recovered from a vacant plot near Jalandhar Bypass in Ludhiana on Thursday.

The victim, Davinder Singh, had returned to Ludhiana from Mumbai just two days ago.

The gruesome crime came to light when a passer-by spotted a white plastic drum near a private school near the Salem Tabri police station in Ludhiana. Inside, police found Davinder’s body hacked into three pieces, with one portion partially burnt.

The victim’s family members told police that Davinder had arrived home from Mumbai on Tuesday but left within 15 minutes and never returned.

Police have detained the victim’s friend, Shera, and another suspect for questioning.

CCTV footage from the area shows Shera and an accomplice carrying the drum toward the plot. Investigators believe the murder was committed at a different location and the remains were dumped at the bypass to destroy evidence and evade detection.

This is the second such killing in Ludhiana this week. Just three days ago, a charred body cut into two parts was recovered from a field in the Meharban area. While that victim remains unidentified, the back-to-back killings have sparked panic among residents.

Forensic teams collected samples from the site, and a probe is underway to establish the motive.

The murder has once again highlighted a disturbing trend. Just three days ago, another charred body, chopped into two parts, was found in an open field under the Meharban police station area. In that case too, stray dogs were found tearing at the remains before passersby alerted the police. That body remains unidentified, and investigators are still struggling to crack the case.