The body of an unidentified woman, believed to have been murdered, was found stuffed in a sack and dumped in bushes in the Faridpur police station area here in Bareilly district, officials said on Tuesday.

Police said passersby alerted them on Monday afternoon after spotting dogs dragging a partially decomposed body out of the bushes near Simra Boripur village. Investigators said the woman’s face was severely disfigured, making identification difficult.

While locals claimed acid may have been used to hinder her identification, police suspect the face turned black due to advanced decomposition. Faridpur police station in-charge Radheshyam said the body is estimated to be between 10 and 15 days old. “Most parts of the body had decomposed, and a foul smell was emanating. The woman was wearing a sweater, a sari, and metal bangles. Identification efforts are underway based on these clues,” he said.

The woman’s body was found with the upper portion, from head to waist, inside the sack, and the legs lying outside, suggesting she was killed before being dumped in the bushes.

Police said that a post-mortem examination is scheduled for Tuesday to determine the exact cause of death. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing, they added.