Kannur: The charred bodies of an elderly couple were discovered inside their house on Ananthan Road at Alavil in Kannur's Chirakkal grama panchayat on Thursday evening. Valapattanam police identified the deceased as A K Sreelekha (68), niece of Forest Minister A K Saseendran, and her husband Premarajan (75), a former manager at the Savoy Hotel.

The couple were found dead on the day their younger son, Shibin, was due to arrive from Bahrain. Their elder son, Prabith, lives in Australia.

According to police, the bodies were discovered by their driver, Sarosh, who had come around 5.45 pm to collect the car to pick up Shibin from the airport. When repeated calls at the house went unanswered, he alerted neighbours and the Valapattanam police. The house was then opened, and the couple were found charred to death in the bedroom.

Neighbours told police they had not seen the couple outside the house that day. The morning newspaper remained untouched in the box at the gate. The house had been locked from the inside.

Investigating officers said a hammer was recovered from the bedroom, and the inquest revealed injuries on Sreelekha's head, possibly caused by it. They said the exact cause of death would be confirmed only after the autopsy, which will be done on Friday morning.

A forensic team and fingerprint experts examined the house. Kannur City Police Commissioner P Nidhin Raj, Valapattanam Inspector P Vijesh, and SI T M Vipin visited the scene. After the inquest, the bodies were shifted to Kannur District Hospital mortuary.