Police have arrested two men accused of fatally assaulting an elderly couple in Sendurus village on the night of June 2, officials said on Wednesday. Initial reports indicate the attack followed a dispute over parking a motorcycle, investigators told reporters.

Forced entry, deadly blows
According to police, the accused used a scalpetti strip to force open the couple’s house and entered through the door late in the night. The victims, identified as 70-year-old Purushottam Khunte and his wife, 65-year-old Guhrin Bai Khunte, were asleep in the verandah when the assailants struck them repeatedly on the head and face with an iron rod, leading to their deaths at the scene.

Stolen items recovered
Investigators said the attackers took a gold necklace from the woman’s neck, a nose stud and some items of jewellery kept in a cupboard, along with cash and the couple’s mobile phone. Forensic teams recorded blood-stained bedding and photographed the scene before bodies were sent for post-mortem.

Phone trace led to arrests
Police said tracking the stolen phone’s location brought them to the Palgada area in Kharsia police station limits. Devkumar Yadav (33) was detained at a roadside eatery there; the phone was recovered from him. Under sustained questioning, Devkumar allegedly named his accomplice, 40-year-old Rupcharan Yadav, both residents of Pandripani, and the two confessed to carrying out the murder and robbery, officials added.

Old rivalry, fresh violence
Sources familiar with the probe said the attackers had an earlier quarrel with Purushottam over parking a bike outside his home. “The dispute escalated into a plan to attack,” a senior officer said, adding that during interrogation the pair admitted the motive was a personal grudge relating to the parking row.

Confession links to 2024 double murder
In a further disclosure, both men allegedly accepted responsibility for a high-profile double killing in June 2024 from Mukta village in the same Malharoda police limits. Police records show that victims Magnalal Gabel and Budhwara Bai Gabel had been slain inside their home in that case. That investigation, filed last year under Section 103(1) of the Indian Penal Code at Malharoda, had remained unresolved until now, officials said.

Dealer arrested for buying stolen gold
The probe also led to the arrest of a local jewellery trader, Baboolal Sahu (50), proprietor of Khileshwar Jewellers in Jaijaipur. Police said Rupcharan sold stolen ornaments to Sahu for about Rs 84,000. Officers recovered several pieces of gold and cash from the accused’s possession and charged him under provisions for purchasing stolen property.

Evidence seized
Police listed recovered items as roughly 9 grams of gold jewellery, 5 grams of melted gold, Rs 77,000 in cash, the iron rod allegedly used in the attack, the couple’s motorcycle, and the looted mobile phone. Authorities said murder and robbery cases were registered at Malharoda police station under Sections 331(8) and 103(1) of the IPC (as cited by local officials).

Local reaction and context
Villagers in Sendurus expressed shock and fear after the killings, saying the Khunte couple were well-known for farming and lived alone as their children worked elsewhere. “They were simple people; nobody expected such brutality over a small dispute,” a neighbour said to local reporters. Police increased patrolling in the area following the arrests.

Next steps in probe
Investigators said they will produce the accused before a magistrate and continue forensic tests and scene reconstruction. Officers are also examining links between the suspects and other unsolved crimes in Sakti and nearby police limits. Post-mortem and toxicology reports are pending and will be relied on for final charges, a senior investigating officer said.

Primary keyword repetition
The Sakti murder case has again focused attention on how old grievances can turn deadly in rural pockets, and on local policing capacity to trace stolen mobile devices and illegal scrap routes quickly.