Retired couple found dead in Aishbagh home were shot, confirms autopsy

Bhopal: A retired couple, whose decomposed bodies were found inside their Sudama Nagar home in Aishbagh on Friday night, were murdered after being shot, police said on Saturday after receiving the short post-mortem report.FSL team recovered three spent cartridges from the scene. Police sources said all three shots were fired from close distance, probably at point blank range. One of the entry doors were found open through which the unidentified accused might had fled after the murder.Police commissioner Sanjay Kumar said the short PM report confirmed that the victims were shot dead by unidentified accused. The woman sustained bullet wounds to her head and chest, while her husband was shot in the head.“The murders appear to have taken place around two days before the bodies were discovered. As the bodies were in an advanced stage of decomposition, the gunshot injuries were not immediately visible during the initial inspection,” the police commissioner said.The commissioner said that there were no signs of forced entry, ransacking or struggle inside the house. Household articles were found arranged, ruling out robbery as the apparent motive.

Police are investigating the case from all angles.Police said that the victims were identified as Hemant Barik, 64, a retired railway employee, and his wife Shakuntala Barik, 62, a retired nurse from Kasturba Hospital.The couple lived alone on the first floor of their house, while the second floor had been rented out to students. The ground floor was vacant. According to tenants, the couple had not been seen for the past two days.

On Friday evening, one of the tenants went downstairs to pay rent but received no response despite repeatedly knocking on the door. A foul smell emanating from the house prompted him to alert neighbours and call Dial-112.Police broke open the door around 9 pm and found Hemant’s body lying on a bed and Shakuntala’s body on a sofa.Police said Shakuntala had last spoken to a relative over the phone on Wednesday, when she mentioned that her husband was suffering from an eye problem and that she was taking him to Kasturba Hospital.

The relative told police that she did not mention any family dispute, threat or cause for concern during the conversation.Police are examining all possible angles, including personal rivalry and property-related disputes.Despite the suspected financial angle, investigators found no signs of ransacking inside the house. Almirahs were locked, household articles were undisturbed and Rs 17,400 in cash, bank passbooks and other documents were recovered intact from Shakuntala’s handbag.However, both the victims’ mobile phones were missing. Police said the last recorded location of both phones was inside the house, after which they were switched off.