Panic gripped people in Nellore after a middle-aged couple were found dead in their house at Ashok Nagar near Vedayapalem in the city in the early hours of Sunday.
The milkman, who saw the couple, V. Krishnamurthy (54) and his wife Sunitha (50), lying in a pool of blood with their throats slit, soon complained to the police. There were reportedly many injury marks on their bodies.
Prima facie it seemed to be a case of murder for gain, said the police who began probing the incident, after sending the bodies of the couple for post-mortem.
Krishnamurthy, who hailed from Krishna district, had migrated to Nellore 20 years ago and was running an eatery here, Vedayapalem Circle Inspector Narasimha Rao said.
Superintendent of Police Ch. Vijaya Rao, who visited the spot and coordinated the investigation, said that the gold jewelry was intact, however, one of the couple’s family members complained later that his day’s collection of ₹1 lakh was missing.
The assailants reportedly made good their escape through the back door.