Three empty cartridge cases recovered from a locked house in Bhopal's Sudama Nagar locality have pushed police to formally investigate a murder angle in the deaths of a retired couple, officials said on Saturday, 28 June 2025. The bodies of Hemant Barik, 64, a retired railway employee, and his wife Shakuntala Barik, 62, a retired nurse from Kasturba Hospital, were found inside their residence under the Aishbagh police station limits on Friday night after neighbours and tenants alerted police to a foul smell emanating from the premises.

How the Bodies Were Discovered

According to police, the couple lived alone in the house, though a portion of the property had been rented out to students. The tenants grew concerned after noticing that the couple had not stepped out for roughly two days and that a strong stench had begun to spread from the premises. They alerted police, who forced entry and found both bodies in an advanced state of decomposition.

Investigators have recorded statements from neighbours, who indicated that Hemant and Shakuntala Barik were last seen alive on the evening of 24 June — meaning the bodies may have lain undiscovered for nearly two days before the alarm was raised.

Key Evidence at the Crime Scene

Additional Police Commissioner Shailendra Singh Chauhan confirmed that injury marks were found on both bodies and that three empty cartridge cases had been recovered from the spot. The crime scene has been sealed and forensic experts are examining all evidence collected from the house.

'Injury marks were found on both bodies and three empty cartridge cases have also been recovered from the spot. We are investigating every possible angle, including murder. The exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem and forensic science laboratory reports are received,' Chauhan said.

Because the bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition, police said it was not immediately possible to determine the precise cause of death at the scene.

Other Angles Under Examination

Investigators are also looking into reports that the couple reportedly had frequent domestic disputes, though officials stressed that no conclusion had been drawn on that front. Chauhan stated: 'At this stage, we are examining all available evidence and recording statements of people connected with the couple. We are not ruling out any possibility until the forensic and post-mortem reports are available.'

The recovery of cartridge cases, combined with visible injury marks, has added a significant new dimension to what initially appeared to be an unattended-death case.

What Investigators Are Doing Next

Both bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams are processing the physical evidence, including the three cartridge cases, for ballistic and trace analysis. Police are continuing to record witness statements from neighbours and others connected to the couple.

The findings from the post-mortem and FSL reports are expected to be decisive in establishing the sequence of events and narrowing the investigation's focus.