Hamirpur (Uttar Pradesh), Mar 17 (IANS): A highly decomposed body of a woman has been found in a mustard field near Budai village in Hamirpur district, said police.

The police and forensic team reached the spot, collected the body and other belongings of the woman lying around for further investigation.

It is suspected that the woman was murdered after being raped. The dead body is about a fortnight old.

The incident came to light when locals, who had gone to work in their farms, spotted the body in a mustard field.

The woman has been identified as Suman, 45, wife of late Dharamveer, a resident of Baijemau village.

The police said that as per the woman's relatives, Suman is survived by her four children, her husband had already died.

Circle Officer (City) Vivek Yadav said, "Forensic and dog squad teams are engaged in the investigation. The reasons for the murder are being ascertained. Few liquor bottles have been recovered from the spot. Going by the preliminary findings, it appears that the woman was sexually assaulted before death."