Couple found dead inside car in Ashoknagar, police suspect murder and suicide

Bhopal: A young couple was found dead inside a car parked along Isagarh Road near Mahana village in Madhya Pradesh’s Ashoknagar district early Thursday, and police recovered a pistol, a blood-stained axe and a cutter from the vehicle, probing the case from all angles, including murder and suicide.The deceased were identified as Ritik Soni, 26, and Muskan Jain, 24, both residents of Ashoknagar. The two had left their homes on Wednesday evening but did not return, prompting their families to alert police.Police traced their mobile phone locations to Isagarh Road and reached the spot around 3 am. The bodies were found on the front seats of the car. Preliminary examination showed that Ritik had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, while Muskan had multiple grievous injuries.Ritik’s father, Rakesh Soni, alleged that his son’s face had been partially burnt and the rear seat of the car had also been set on fire. He said three mobile phones were found about 50 feet from the vehicle and caps were recovered nearby. He added that a blood-stained axe and a cutter were found inside the car, leading the family to suspect a pre-planned murder.According to the family, Ritik and Muskan had worked together at a private company in Indore and had known each other for the past two to three years. Ritik later started a car interior business in Indore and had returned to Ashoknagar about 15 days ago.The family also alleged that when they approached the police station around midnight to report Ritik missing, police neither accepted the missing person complaint nor made a station diary entry.