A 52-year-old construction labourer was found murdered in fields near Khanpur village on Friday, bearing multiple head injuries allegedly inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon, police said on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Ruldu Singh, a resident of Seelon village in the Dehlon area. Some residents of Seelon who had gone towards Khanpur to graze their cattle spotted his body in the fields and informed his family. His mobile phone was found lying near the body.

According to his brother Kaka Singh, Ruldu had left home on Thursday afternoon but did not return. The family repeatedly called his mobile phone, but there was no response. His motorcycle, meanwhile, remained at home, prompting the family to suspect that someone had taken him away.

Kaka Singh told police that Ruldu had suffered multiple injuries to his head. “Earlier too, Ruldu would sometimes stay away from home, but he would usually inform us. This time, he neither called us nor answered our calls. We are unable to understand who could have killed him in such a brutal manner,” he said.

According to the victim’s family, Ruldu had been divorced for decades. He worked as a construction labourer and had no known rivalry with anyone. He is survived by his two daughters.

Dehlon police have registered a murder case under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against unidentified persons on Kaka Singh’s complaint.

Inspector Vijay Kumar, SHO of Dehlon police station, said investigators were trying to establish who was the last person seen with Ruldu and were examining his movements before the murder. The police are also probing the circumstances that led to his presence in the fields near Khanpur.