Diphu (Assam), Apr 20 (PTI) A couple were killed and their three children grievously injured in an attack by unidentified persons in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, police said on Sunday.

The attack took place at the residence of Julo Munda in Munda Basti in Namburnadi tea estate in Barpathar area on Saturday night.

Police said Julo Munda and his wife Panchami were beaten up by the miscreants and kidnapped from their residence.

The three children of the couple, aged between 9 and 13 years, were also assaulted by the gang and left behind in an injured condition.

“As per the statement of the nine-year-old son, their parents were taken away after being physically assaulted,” a police officer said.

The children, after receiving first aid at a nearby hospital, were admitted to the Golaghat Civil Hospital for advanced treatment.

A search operation was launched to trace the missing couple immediately after receiving information of the attack, he said.

The two bodies were retrieved on Sunday afternoon from a water-filled coal mining pit, located some distance away from Munda’s house, the officer said.

“The legs and hands of both the victims were tied up, and the bodies were stuffed inside gunny bags with stones tied to their necks. We suspect that they were thrown in this state into the water-filled pit, leading to their death,” he said.

“The post-mortem examination of the bodies will be conducted on Monday, after which more details will be known,” the officer said.

Police have already launched an investigation into the case, though no reason behind the brutal attack is known yet, he added. PTI COR SSG SSG ACD