Newlywed couple found dead in Maharashtra river with legs tied together; cops suspect murder-suicide

In a suspicious incident, the bodies of a newlywed couple were recovered from the Tapi River in Dhule district in Maharashtra on Friday.

The couple’s legs were bound together with an iron chain secured with a padlock.

The deceased were identified as Shyam Hari Patil and Sapna Patil, both natives of Amalner Taluka in neighbouring Jalgaon district. The couple reportedly married for life a few months ago.

According to local reports, the man was 28 years old while the woman was 20. The man had also reportedly called his wife's sibling the midnight before the deaths and showed distress over something.

Shyam works at a private company in Jalgaon and married Sapna four months ago. It was his second marriage. He had settled in Uttran in Erandol a few years ago for work.

Police are investigating the incident from all angles; it is not known whether the deaths were suicide or murder. Based on preliminary information, police suspect the deaths could be a murder suicide.

Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Kapadnis of Nardana Police Station  said that the local residents saw a bike parked near the scene since Wednesday afternoon.

“ This suggests that the couple must have drowned at least 24 hours ago," he said.

Police identified the couple from the vehicle's registration details. They then contacted the woman’s sister.

According to the sister, Shyam called her at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday and said, “Everything is over.’

Kapadnis said, “Before hanging up, Shyam told his sister-in-law that he was leaning. After that, despite repeated calls, she could not contact him” Police suspect the drowning occurred right after the call.

One officer said that the cause of the death can only be determined after a post-mortem.