Local police on Friday recovered the bodies of a husband and wife from a fresh grave at the village cremation ground and arrested three nephews on suspicion of murdering the couple and burying them in sacks, officials said.

Discovery at cremation ground
Villagers discovered the fresh grave late on Thursday evening while preparing to bury another deceased resident, police said. Neighbours noticed disturbed earth and recently placed shrouds and flagged the spot as suspicious. That prompted questions about two villagers who had been missing for several days, according to initial reports.

Missing couple identified
Officials later confirmed the remains were those of 45-year-old Rajaram Netam and his 40-year-old wife, Asho Bai Netam of Gariba village. Both had been reported missing after relatives could not locate them for several days, a senior officer at Sobha police station said.

Alleged killings and burial
Sources familiar with the investigation said the couple were allegedly beaten to death on June 6 with an axe and sticks by three nephews — identified as Lakhiram Netam, Raghuram Netam and Nakul Ram Netam, aged between 32 and 36. After the attack, the suspects reportedly stuffed the bodies into sacks and buried them at the village cremation ground during the night, intending to hide the crime, police said.

Tip-off to panchayat, confession
The case came to light after villagers assembled for a funeral on June 11 and noticed the fresh grave. According to the station house officer, one of the accused later told the sarpanch the truth, prompting a formal complaint and police action. “We reached the cremation ground, had the grave opened and recovered the remains,” the SHO said. The bodies were sent to the Raipur forensic laboratory for further examination.

Arrests and investigation
Police arrested the three nephews and have taken them into custody for interrogation. “We are recording their statements and piecing together the sequence of events,” the SHO said. Forensic samples and a post-mortem will help establish cause and time of death, he added. Investigators have registered a murder case and are examining family dynamics, motives and any prior disputes.

Family background
Neighbours told reporters that Rajaram and Asho Bai lived in an extended household with several siblings and relatives. The couple had no children, villagers said, and recurring disputes reportedly existed between Rajaram and some members of his extended family. Local residents said tensions had occasionally flared over household matters, though they expressed shock at the alleged violence.

Ground reaction
Villagers expressed outrage and alarm after the graves were unearthed. “We have never seen anything like this here,” said one resident who asked not to be named. The discovery has raised concerns about safety and trust within the hamlet, prompting the gram panchayat to call for swift police action.

Forensic and legal next steps
The recovered remains have been sent to the forensic lab in Raipur for autopsy and DNA confirmation, officials said. The forensic team will test for cause of death and any injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma. Police said they would await the forensic report before filing final charges and producing the accused before a magistrate.

Wider implications
Incidents of intra-family violence and clandestine burials are rare in the district but tend to provoke strong local reactions, officials noted. The case is likely to prompt closer scrutiny of family disputes in the area and may lead to additional arrests if the probe uncovers accomplices.

What happens next
Police said they expect to complete primary forensic procedures within days and will share details with the district magistrate and local administration. Meanwhile, investigators are re‑interviewing villagers, tracing movements of the accused during the week of June 6 and seeking any CCTV or witness accounts that could corroborate the timeline.