Kolkata, Nov 16 : In a shocking incident, the bodies of a couple were recovered from the bank of a river in West Bengal's Siliguri on Sunday.

While the woman's body was found lying on the bank of the river with her throat slit, the husband was found hanging from a tree nearby.

Local police rushed to the spot and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination.

Police officers are investigating whether it was a case of double murder or a case of suicide after committing murder.

According to police sources, the bodies were found at around 7 a.m. by local villagers near the Sahu River in Siliguri.

The deceased were identified as Tapan Mandal and Anima Mandal, the police said.

The couple lived in the Bholapara area of â??â??Siliguri. Tapan and Anima were married for more than two decades and blessed with two sons.

There was also no report of any unrest in the family or between the couple.

The cause of the crime was yet to be ascertained, and the police were conducting the probe from all angles.

Tapan was a mason by profession, and his wife Anima worked in a factory. It is reported that the husband and wife used to return home every day at a specific time after finishing work.

According to family sources, the couple could not be found since Saturday evening.

Family members said they were unable to contact Tapan and Anima on their mobile phones either.

Searches were conducted in various places to trace the couple.

A senior officer of Siliguri Police Commissionerate said, "Anima's body was found with her throat slit on the banks of that river. About 200 metres away, the body of her husband, Tapan, was seen hanging from a tree with a noose around his neck. An investigation into the matter has started. It is being probed whether both were killed or the man killed his wife and then hanged."

/IANS