Couple Allegedly Hacked To Death By Unknown Assailants, 10-Month-Old Baby Left Unharmed

A couple in India were allegedly hacked to death in their sleep by unidentified assailants who entered their home Wednesday.

While the 30-year-old man and his 28-year-old wife were killed, the attackers spared the life of their 10-month-old baby who was inside the home at the time.

The incident came to light after the neighbors heard the baby's cries, and rushed to the couple's house in a village in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where they found the bodies of the husband and wife in a pool of blood. The couple had their throat slit and their blood-smeared bodies were on different beds, The Times of India reported.

The baby was found lying on the ground, unharmed. The motive behind the killing remains unknown. The victims were identified as Narayan and Ranjana, who got married three years ago.

Authorities said the case was being probed from all angles, and separate teams have been formed to nab the perpetrators.

Preliminary investigation revealed the couple were sleeping on the rooftop of the house when they were attacked. The police found the household items scattered around, and a forensic team later arrived at the scene to collect evidence, The Weekend Leader reported, citing IANS.

“Circumstantial evidence revealed that the unidentified killers had attacked with sharp-edged weapons the couple when they were fast asleep,” a senior police officer told The Times of India, adding, “The couple could not be able to resist as the number of killers would be four or above.”

It remains unclear who took custody of the baby after the death of his parents.

Last week in the state of Madhya Pradesh, a married couple was set ablaze while their children slept in the next room. The couple was attacked after they were unable to pay a loan of $147, which they had taken from a man to renovate their home. According to local media reports, the accused allegedly claimed the couple threatened to kill him whenever he reminded them about repaying the money. Frustrated by this, the accused decided to kill them. The man reportedly entered the victims' house on the day of the crime and poured petrol over the couple while they were sleeping. He then set both on fire.