Nephew and grandson killed elderly couple in Balaghat:Duo plan murder to repay ₹4 lakh debt; police arrested both and recovered cash, jewellery

Police have solved the brutal double murder of an elderly couple in Balaghat within 24 hours. Shockingly, the killers turned out to be none other than the victims’ own relatives — their nephew and grandson — who murdered them to repay a debt of Rs 4 lakh. Motive: Debt and greed behind the murders According to police, both accused — nephew Dulichand Hake (41) and grandson Sachin Hake (27) — were under heavy financial debt due to gambling. They owed about Rs 4 lakh combined and decided to rob and kill the couple to repay it. Police recovered Rs 1.85 lakh in cash and jewellery from the accused. Both were arrested on Friday and will be produced in court on Saturday for remand and further interrogation. Murder planned by grandson Sachin ASP Nishit Upadhyay said the murders took place on the night of October 5 in Ward No. 2, Arjun Nala, Katangi. The bodies of Ramesh Hake (a retired irrigation department driver) and his wife Pushpakala were found blood-soaked in their home — Ramesh in the bedroom and Pushpakala in the kitchen. The main conspirator, Sachin, is the son of Ramesh’s nephew Mahesh Hake. Both accused are uncle and nephew by relation. Killed the wife first, then the husband On the night of the crime, Sachin called Ramesh around 11:30 pm, pretending his motorcycle had a flat tire, to lure him out. Meanwhile, Sachin and Dulichand entered the house from the back door and attacked Pushpakala, slitting her throat with three blows. When Ramesh returned home moments later, they attacked him in the same way, killing him instantly. The duo then looted jewellery and cash from the house before fleeing. No forced entry; accused attended the funeral Investigators found no signs of forced entry on windows or doors, suggesting the killers were known to the victims. CCTV footage and mobile location data led police to the suspects. Initially, they tried to mislead investigators, but later confessed during interrogation. In a shocking twist, the accused even attended the couple’s funeral to avoid suspicion. Victims lived alone; accused knew the house well Police said that after retirement, Ramesh lent money on interest and lived with his wife. Sachin had been living with them since childhood, studying locally and helping with farming and poultry work. Ramesh’s sons, Sunil and Yogesh, work in private firms in Nagpur. On the night of the murder, they had spoken to their parents — Sunil confirmed a 10-minute phone conversation around 6 pm, while Yogesh had a 20-minute video call at 9:30 pm. After the crime, Sunil reported that around Rs 9 lakh worth of jewellery, Rs 1.25 lakh cash, and some US dollars were missing from the house. Bought the murder weapon from local market Police revealed that the accused had purchased a knife from Kosumba Market in advance. Both were addicted to satta (illegal betting), which had led them deep into debt. Their greed ultimately drove them to commit the heinous crime against their own family.