Fridae

Police on early Saturday morning found the bodies of a 38-year-old man and his friend in the former's home in the Anand Lok area of south Delhi, described by Indian newspapers as a "quiet, affluent residential neighbourhood."

The bodies of Pushkin Chandra, 38, a project development officer with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and his male companion were found in a pool of blood by a domestic help in his home located in a separate building next to his family home. Pushkin's father is said to be a retired prominent bureaucrat.

Pushkin was found in his bathroom naked with his hands and legs tied, stabbed in his neck and abdomen, and his throat slit. The other man was only identified as Vishal alias Kuldeep, a resident of Rajpur village in the Mehrauli area, by Police in the Hindustan Times on Tuesday, was found on the bed in his bermudas and a vest, his hands and legs tied and throat slit.

Authorities say that both men had been stabbed to death and that the area where the men were found had been ransacked and Polaroid photos of nude men, many with names on the back of them, were found strewn around the room.

Police say it appears that the victims knew their killers; adding revenge could be the motive and did not rule out the possibility that the victims were blackmailing someone.

Meanwhile, the press has highlighted the men's supposed sexuality, including accounts of homosexual pornography found at Pushkin's residence and his status as an out gay man. The Statesman has also found it fitting to publish highly speculative theories of the murders:

"Forced gay sex: The two unidentified men could have been coerced to have sex with Pushkin and Vishal. This might have enraged them leading to murder."

"Blackmail: Large number of gay photographs and amateur pornographic movies strewn across the room."

"Sado-masochist: Police suspect it was S&M sex, which went horribly wrong."

Many in the gay and lesbian community have strongly objected to reportage on the murders.

"There is a distinct lack of respect for the dead," said sociologist Peter D'Souza. "There is voyeurism even in death which is shameful.

"Look at what they are covering about the murder - the gay angle, police saying they found pornographic material involving pictures of naked men. The private lives of people are being put to ugly scrutiny in a time of great grief for a family."

Referring to a headline in the Hindustan Times, an prominent but unnamed designer told the Newindpress, "Look at what the newspaper headlines are saying: 'Double murder outs Delhi's gay culture.' What's 'gay culture'? Does anyone ever say a murder 'outs heterosexual culture'? The entire mindset is warped."

"We have been made to sound like freaks," a gay restaurateur told the paper. "It is so ugly. If you read the papers, it's like all homosexuals are forever searching the streets for same-sex prostitutes."

As the case receives more media attention, police on Monday began rounding up male prostitutes in New Delhi for questioning. Police say that material found at the scene of the killings indicated Pushkin often hired hustlers.

Police also want to question a Danish national identified as Uffe Gartner, who knew Pushkin and reportedly flew to France on the day the bodies were discovered.

According to media reports citing investigators, both men had supposedly returned from a party that was reportedly a farewell for Gartner.

The police on Monday released identikits of the two prime suspects and said Pushkin, the second victim and the two suspects had gone to the party together a little before midnight but had stayed only for about an hour.

Gay activists have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking the removal of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that makes homosexual activity illegal, and have also organized two gay and lesbian marches against the law and discrimination in New Delhi and Kolkata in the last few months.

Section 377, established in 1860 during the period of British occupation, criminalises "sexual offences against the order of nature" which is widely interpreted to mean sex between members of the same sex. Former British colonies Singapore and Malaysia still have similar laws in their respective Penal Codes while Hong Kong decrimalised gay sex in 1991.