Skeletons, skulls, bones recovered from field

Lakhimpur (UP), Sep 21 (PTI) A large number of human
skeletons, skulls and bones, said to be over 150 years old,
has been recovered from an agricultural farm in Mohammadi
tehsil here in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a senior
official said.

"Human skeletons in large numbers were found buried in
Badhera village, 30 kms from here," Circle Officer of
Mohammadi Subhash Chandra Gangawar said, adding the bones,
skulls and skeletons, that have become brittle with time, seem
to be over a century old.

Police have sent a report to the District Magistrate
seeking a survey of the area and analysis of the human remains
by the Archaeological Survey of India.

"We have recommended that the ASI should study the case
as people of the region related the mass burials to
pre-independence era when freedom fighters declared Mohammadi
a free state and fought a pitched war against the British
troops somewhere between 1856 and 1858," he said.

The officials are puzzled over the recovery of skeletons
as in their records there was no burial ground from where the
recoveries were made.

"We were taken aback when the mass burial came to our
notice as this is not a place recorded as grave yard,"
tehsildar of Mohammadi said.

The skeletons were recovered while the farm was being dug
under NREGS a couple of days back.

"It is not possible to count the exact number of human
skeletons lying buried in the field but certainly dozens of
skeletons are lying buried here," Gangwar said.

fThe administration has stopped further digging till
investigations are on. PTI CORR
JVN