Palakkad: The severed body parts of a woman and a child were recovered from three sacks found in the Bhavani River at Cheerakadav, near Attappadi, on Sunday afternoon.

Local residents first spotted one of the sacks on the riverbank rocks and alerted the Pudur police around noon. Two additional sacks were subsequently found floating in the river.

According to officials, a standby crew from the Mannarkkad Fire Station reached the spot around 6.50 pm to provide lighting and assist in retrieving the bags.

Inside it, authorities found the detached heads of the woman and child wrapped together in a yellow plastic cover, while their torsos were placed separately in the other sacks. Police have registered a case under Section 103(1)(murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Following the completion of inquest procedures, the remains were shifted to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination as investigations continue to identify the victims.