Panic broke out in the Karabara Road area on Tuesday after residents found the half-naked body of an unidentified man tied to the trunk of a tree on a vacant lot, officials said.

According to police, the body was tied to the tree with a piece of cloth around the neck and the victim’s hands were tied with the cord of a mobile phone charger. After being informed, Daresi police arrived at the scene and launched an investigation.

Police have registered a murder case against an unidentified accused and are currently investigating for clues. The body has been taken to the public hospital for autopsy and police have issued announcements in the surrounding areas seeking help in identifying the deceased.

Avtar Singh, station house officer (SHO) of Daresi, said they received information about the body lying in a vacant plot near a petrol station. He said the victim was wearing a black T-shirt and the body was decomposing, leading the police to suspect that the deceased was murdered at least five days ago.

The inspector added that there was a suspicion that the man was murdered due to a rivalry among friends.

He added that police did not find the victim’s clothing at the scene and it was possible that he was murdered elsewhere and the attackers subsequently disposed of the body on the property.

A case has been registered against an unidentified accused under sections 103 (murder), 238 (disappearance of evidence of an offence), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 62 (general provision for attempt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He said the police are examining the footage of the CCTV cameras installed near the spot where the body was found.