2 property dealers arrested in MP’s Aishbagh double murder case: Police

CCTV footage had earlier captured two suspects in raincoats, prompting police to announce a reward of ₹50,000 for information

Two property brokers have been arrested for allegedly murdering an elderly couple after fraudulently tricking them into signing over their Bhopal home, police said.

The accused Shrikant Chinchaliya (40) and Shashikant Chinchaliya (35) allegedly killed a retired railway official Hemant Philomen and his wife Shakuntala Barik, a retired government nurse in their home in Sudama Nagar on June 24, police said.

They both were shot dead and their decomposed bodies were recovered on June 26, police said.

“They entered the house and shot them dead. Neighbours and tenants did not suspect foul play as the accused were frequent visitors,” police said while adding that the CCTV footage and scientific investigation helped the police in nabbing them.

A special investigation team (SIT) was formed to probe the case. Police commissioner Sanjay Kumar said nearly 20 teams were involved in the investigation. CCTV footage had earlier captured two suspects in raincoats, prompting police to announce a reward of ₹50,000 for information.

According to police, the accused came into contact with the couple a few months back through Shivani Barik, a relative. They assisted in selling two properties in Itarsi and Bhopal.

Also Read:Mohan Yadav withdraws animal husband portfolio from Lakhan Patel; gives happiness dept

During the Itarsi transaction, they fraudulently obtained a gift deed for the couple’s house in their own names. In March, when the couple decided to sell their Sudama Nagar house, the property dealers delayed the process for months, showing it to prospective buyers but never finalised the deal. When Hemant Philomen finally concluded the sale independently, this angered the accused.

The police commissioner said the brokers then conspired to kill the couple to seize the property.

Investigators are also probing the role of Barik.

I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More