Barabanki, May 13 : The decomposed bodies of an elderly couple were found lying inside their locked house under the Dewa police station in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district on Sunday evening, the police said.

Police said that preliminary investigations suggested that the murder might have been committed around five days back since the bodies were badly decomposed with insects breeding on them.

The couple was murdered after being hit on the head with some blunt object.

Barabanki Circle Officer (CO) City, Jagat Ram Kannaujia, said the deceased were identified as Majid Hussain Warsi, 65, and his wife Mashrat Jahan, 62, both residents of Badaun. They had been living in Dewa after having purchased a house eight months ago.

The CO said Majid initially ran a business dealing in mattresses and covers but had also entered the real estate business for the past few years.

Kannaujia felt it was a clear case of double murder and that the assailants might have been known to the victims as there was no sign of any forced entry.

He added the assailants would have locked the door from outside after murdering the couple.

The CO said the couple's three sons -- Arif, Javed, and Naved -- stay in Delhi while the fourth one Parvez lives in Faridabad. Their daughter Tabbassum along with her husband Sageer lives in Aligarh.

He added that Sageer was first to inform the police that he was unable to reach out to his in-laws. After this, the police went to check up at the elderly couple's residence but returned on seeing a lock on the door.

He said the police again arrived at the house after being informed by locals about a foul smell emanating from the house.

Subsequently, the police personnel forced their entry after breaking the door lock to find Majid lying dead near the staircase and his wife Mashrat dead on the bed.

The CO added that the couple's children had been informed about the development and the post-mortem report was awaited.

/IANS