Mysuru: The discovery of a charred body of a woman atop Chamundi Hills has cast the latest incident of forest fire in the hill shrine in an entirely different mould. The fire that was first detected at the hills around 4.30pm on Friday was brought under control by the fire department personnel after an operation that lasted more than an hour, the fire was brought under control around 7pm.The body was found by personnel of the fire department, who later informed police about it. The body has been burnt beyond recognition, thereby prompting police to suspect foul play. Cops suspect that the fire may have been ignited at the hills while the body was being burnt to destroy evidence which may have later spread to the surrounding forest areas.The fire was first noticed by passers-by near Bandipalya, who alerted the fire department.Regional fire officer G Eshwar Nayak said that the department received a call around 4.50pm, following which six fire engines were pressed into service. “We decided to deploy six engines since the fire was spreading very quickly. Owing to the hilly terrain, we could not reach the spot very quickly,” said Nayak, confirming that they found a body of a charred woman at the spot. “Yes, we believe that the fire started at the location where we found the body of the woman,” he added.Mysuru city police commissioner KT Balakrishna confirmed to TOI that the body had been burnt to a degree that made recognition impossible. “We have initiated a probe to ascertain if the woman had been killed before she was set ablaze,,” Balakrishna said.

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