It is suspected that a serial killer is on the loose in Guwahati, leaving its streets in fear. Four beggars have been killed since the first week of January. Most of the people were attacked on this stretch, which is the city’s high security zone. Several such homeless people have been injured in the attacks.

The mysterious serial killer, killed another male beggar in the Paltanbazar area, just four days after he claimed his sixth victim, police said on February the 19th. The police said the vagrant, who was killed last night, was found with head injuries caused by a blunt weapon near the Paltanbazaar mosque today.

On of the homeless people who got attacked and survived was Rameshwar Boro. “He was attacked by something. He called out for me, I saw him lying in a pool of blood,” said Champa Boro, wife of victim. For Rameshwar Boro, the pavement has been his home for several years till a stalker attacked him three months ago. Ever since he has been immobile and in a state of shock. Like him and his wife, all pavement dwellers are now spending sleepless nights.

Police are now exploring all angles – whether the killer is a psychopath or if the killings were carried out at the behest of a larger network whose motive is to create terror among beggars and force them to form an association to exploit them for profit.

“It must a group of at least three persons. There is no apparent motive. The killings were not done for monetary benefits or personal enmity is for sure,” said Debojit Deuri, Additional Superintendant of Police. Police suspect it’s a work of a serial killer, because modus operandi in all those cases was similar. An inquest of the bodies revealed that the killer used a hard object when they were asleep on streets.

“It could be a grinding stone or a hard metallic object that can be easily gripped. The inquest also indicated that it was a single blow in all the cases and the victims did not get a chance to resist,” Deuri said. The investigation also revealed that all the four killings occurred between 3.30 a.m. and 5 a.m. He said the police have so far picked up three persons for questioning but their interrogation has not revealed much.

Till the killer is identified, for the community, however, it’s another sleepless night.

-article by Sushanta Talukdar from The Hindu, rewritten and adapted by admin-