The bloated body of Mohammad Ali, 25, cashier of the gang and a rickshaw-puller, was recovered from water near the Kaderabad Housing at 8:30am yesterday.

The killers beat him up severely, cut off his tongue and nose and smashed his teeth and knees, said police. Ali's wife Minora Begum identified the body from the spot.

"Badal, Badshah, Dadon and Taju called him (Ali) out of our house (82, Katashur) at 4:00pm on October 3," said Minora Begum. "But I could not think then that they were calling him out to murder him."

Police, who said Ali might have been killed for dispute over distribution of money, could not arrest any of the four after Minora filed a case with Mohammadpur Police Station.

Meanwhile, police yesterday identified the slaughtered young man near Cantonment Railway Station on Saturday evening as Ershad, 24.

Son of Ashraf Ali of the Cantonment slum, Ershad was going to his workplace with his brother-in-law Monjur when some muggers waylaid them.

"A gang of 7-8 snatchers took away Tk 47, that was all Ershad had," said victim's younger brother 'Ful' Babu, quoting Monjur.

When the muggers were going away, Ershad shouted at them, telling that he could recognise them well. They (muggers) then rushed back and took both Ershad and Monjur to a nearby bush, Babu said.

While the muggers were busy slaughtering Ershad with a sharp knife, Monjur managed to free himself and ran for life.