Nawanshahr: A shocking murder case has come to light in Punjab’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, where a man allegedly killed his girlfriend’s 15-year-old daughter and later attempted to destroy evidence by burning the body in a forest area.
According to police, the accused has been identified as Gurvinder Singh alias Gurpreet alias Gopa, a resident of Jadla village. He was arrested following an investigation into the disappearance of the minor girl.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tushar Gupta said the case came to light after the victim’s mother, Usha Rani, filed a complaint at City Nawanshahr Police Station. In her statement, she alleged that her daughter, Radhika, had gone missing from their rented accommodation on Garhshankar Road while she was away at work.
Acting on the complaint, police launched a search operation and detained the suspect for questioning. During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to killing the girl on May 29 after finding her alone at home.
Police said the accused allegedly strangled the teenager and later placed her body inside a suitcase. He then transported the suitcase on a motorcycle to a forested area near Khuralgarh in Hoshiarpur district, where he allegedly set the body on fire in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Based on his disclosure, police, accompanied by forensic experts, recovered the partially burnt remains of the victim from the forest area.
Investigators revealed that the accused was reportedly in a relationship with the victim’s mother and frequently visited her residence. During questioning, he allegedly told police that the girl disapproved of his relationship with her mother. Police believe this may have been the motive behind the murder.
The accused has been produced before a court, which granted four days of police remand for further investigation. Authorities said a post-mortem examination of the recovered remains will be conducted, while the probe into the case continues.
