Elderly couple found dead with throats slit in Odisha

An elderly couple was found dead with their throats slit at Beleswar village near Cuttack city, police said on Friday.

Their throats were slit with a sharp weapon and the bodies were found on Thursday night, the police said, adding, the incident happened under the jurisdiction of Madhupatna police station.

The couple was staying in their house and prima facie it appears that the assailants were known to the couple, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Cuttack, Akhilesvar Singh said.

The bodies were found in their kitchen, he said.

"We will soon apprehend the assailants," Singh said. The bodies of Srinath Samal (70) and his wife Bidulata (65) were spotted by their neighbors around 9.30pm on Thursday after they were alerted by the couple's daughter over telephone.

She was calling from Kolkata, a police officer said.

"When the couple did not respond to repeated calls from their daughter, she called me to enquire about the situation in their house," a neighbour said adding that the lights in their rooms were on and the almirah door was ajar.

While looting seems to be the motive behind the murders, the police is investigating other angles as well.

At least six non-Odia laborers were staying in the couple's house on rent and they were asked to vacate the house a week ago over some dispute, the police officer said.