Elderly man facing rape charges and his wife found dead

A 61-year-old man, who was facing charges of raping a minor girl in Indore and was on the run, and his wife were found dead in a lodge here Wednesday, police said.

It is suspected the couple committed suicide as a poisonous substance was recovered from the room, they said.

Badwani Kotwali Police Station in-charge Rajesh Yadav said the bodies of Gudwant Bhide (61) and his 59-year-old wife, residents of Indore's Bima Nagar, were found in their room in the lodge, where they were staying since January 20.

Yadav said the lodge's manager Wednesday morning informed the police the couple was not responding to repeated knocks on their room's door.

Later, the police broke open the door and found them dead, he said.

Prima facie, it looks like a case of suicide as a poisonous substance was found in the room, the police officer said.

Yadav said the deceased were identified on the basis of Aadhaar cards found on them.

He said a case of rape with a seven-year-old girl was registered against Gunwant Bhide in Indore's Palasia police station.

Since then he was absconding, Yadav said, adding further investigation is underway.