Bhopal Double Murder: Killer Fired 4 Shots, Escaped With Couple's Phones

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Police probing the killing of retired railway employee Hemant Barik aka Hemant Philemone and his wife Shakuntala Barik have now established that the assailant fired four rounds at the couple before fleeing with their mobile phones.

Nearly 48 hours after the sensational double murder of the elderly couple in Sudama Nagar in Aishbag, investigators are yet to get any concrete leads in the case.

All angles including property dispute, illicit relationships and personal enmity, are under the scanner, police officials said.

Investigations suggest that the shooter first fired at Hemant from some distance.

The bullet grazed his neck and was later recovered from the house. The assailant then moved closer and fired another shot at point-blank range at Hemant's face, killing him on the spot.

The accused subsequently shot Shakuntala twice, once in the head and other near the waist.

Despite extensive questioning, police have failed to identify any suspect. Investigators said there were no CCTV cameras either inside the house or in the surrounding locality, making identification of the assailant difficult.

Police have questioned close relatives including Hemant's brother-in-law, nephews, nieces, younger family members and a sister residing in Bhopal.

Tenants and neighbours have also been questioned, but no clues have surfaced so far. Residents told police that continuous rainfall on the night of the murders might have masked the sound of gunshots.

Aishbag police station in-charge Sandeep Pawar said scrutiny of the couple's call detail records had not revealed any suspicious numbers.

"Both mostly remained in touch only with relatives and no suspicious calls have been found so far," he said, adding that 10 teams were working on the case.

Missing mobile phones may hold key to murders

Police suspect that the missing mobile phones of the deceased may provide crucial clues in the case. While cash and jewellery kept inside the house were found intact, both victims' phones are missing.

Police also recovered nearly 10 old, damaged and defunct mobile phones from the house. Family members said Hemant frequently changed handsets. The devices are now being examined.

Hemant reportedly used a smartphone, while Shakuntala used a basic keypad handset. Investigators suspect that taking away the phones may have been the killer's primary motive.

The assailant switched off the phones inside the house and their last location also showed the residence itself.

Couple was ailing, neighbours describe Hemant rude

Investigators found a large quantity of medicines inside the house as relatives confirmed that Hemant and Shakuntala were suffering from ailments.

During questioning, some neighbours told police that Hemant consumed alcohol heavily and was often rude in his behaviour.

Residents also revealed that the couple, despite being childless, used to tell neighbours that their son was settled abroad.