Unnao: A married man and his purported lover were found dead near a canal in the Purwa Kotwali area of Rasidpur village here, police said on Tuesday, June 2.

According to police, the bodies were spotted by the villagers by the Sharda Canal Monday night.

The deceased were identified as Anil Kumar Shukla, 57, a resident of Turi Chhavinath village, and Soni, 32, a resident of Niddakhera village, the police said.

Shukla operated a private clinic in the area, they said.

Locals said Shukla had a love marriage with Soni around three months ago despite having a wife and two daughters.

The couple reportedly had been living in a rented accommodation in Unnao city.

The police informed their families about the deaths and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination. It was not yet known how the two died.

Additional Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Singh inspected the purported crime scene.

Circle Officer Arvind Chaurasia said the police were investigating the case from all possible angles, including suicide and accident.