Elderly Thane couple were strangled in their home: Police

The deceased couple Ranbaj Singh, 68; Meena Singh, 65. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

In the murder case of an elderly couple, Ranbhaj and Meena Singh, found dead in their Thane residence, Chitalsar police have revealed the cause of death to be strangulation. "Post mortem reports have confirmed that the couple died due to strangulation. We registered an FIR under section 302 (murder) in this matter," Senior PI Girish Gode said.

The motive behind the murder remains unclear, as the police sent the bodies for further analysis. "During preliminary investigations, it was found that the couple loaned small amounts to their relatives and asked for interest to be paid against the loans. We are probing this angle, too," Gode added. Chitalsar police are yet to record the statement of the couple's son Sudhir, who claimed his parents' jewellery had gone missing. Further, they found that the jewellery and cash at the residence was intact.

The murder came to light on January 4 when the son Sudhir Singh, who lives in Ambernath, found his parents Ranbaj, 68, and Meena Singh, 65, lying unconscious in their residence. A distressed Sudhir called out their names multiple times, but the couple were unresponsive. The Singhs' neighbours called the police, and when the couple was brought to the hospital, they were declared dead on arrival.