GUWAHATI: An elderly couple was found dead and their house burgled in the Patiachuburi area under Kacharigaon police outpost of Tezpur in Sonitpur district, police informed on Monday.
“Bryan Arij (82), an Anglo-Indian originally from Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and a resident of Tezpur for over three decades, and Asha Arij (64), were found dead in their residence on Saturday night,” Sonitpur additional SP, Numal Mahatta told The Shillong Times.
Upon preliminary investigation, police suspect that the couple was murdered by burglars as the house was ransacked.
“The persons after committing the crime decamped with jewellery and other valuables. So we suspect this to be a case of burglary and murder. Further investigation is on while a finger print expert team has arrived from Guwahati,” Mahatta said.
The bodies were taken to the Kanaklata Civil Hospital for post mortem, sources said.
The police official said that a neighbour had informed the police on Saturday night after entering the house from the back door which was ajar.
The couple, according to sources, had two daughters who live in Delhi and Pune.
“One of the daughters had called a neighbour after her calls to her parents went unanswered. A person who lives near the couple’s house thereafter found the couple dead inside the house. We suspect the criminals were known to the couple,” Mahatta said.
The additional SP further informed that Bryan had worked with the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) under Border Roads Organisation in Tezpur, and after retirement, had settled down in the Patiachuburi area of the town.
