Hyderabad, Jun 8 (IANS): In a shocking incident, an elderly couple in Telangana was allegedly starved to death after their son and daughter-in-law denied them food and even drinking water.

The incident came to light in Suryapet district on Monday after the police arrested Nageshwar Reddy and his wife Lakshmi and charged them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

According to the police, Nallu Ramachandra Reddy (90) and his wife Anasuyamma (80) had died on May 27 and their final rites were performed by their son the same day at Thummagudem village in Mothe Mandal.

However, the villagers suspected foul play and alerted the police. The accused had allegedly forced the elderly couple to live in a makeshift tarpaulin tent erected on the premises of their house.

Munagala Circle inspector Anjaneyulu said the police swung into action after some local residents complained that Nageshwar Reddy was not taking care of his parents and had denied them food and drinking water, which led to their deaths.

The police exhumed the bodies on May 1 and sent them for autopsy. He said the autopsy report revealed that the couple was not given food which led to dehydration and ultimately their death.

"After receiving the post-mortem report, we booked a case and arrested the accused couple," the police official said.

The accused, who have been booked under Section 304-II of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), were produced before a magistrate, who remanded them to judicial custody.