GURDASPUR, June 9: In a chilling case of premeditated violence, a 17-year-old girl allegedly bludgeoned her fiancé to death with a baseball bat and buried his body in her home compound just days after their engagement, police said on Sunday.
The victim, Sahil Masih, also 17, had gone missing on June 1 after informing his family that he was going to meet his fiancée. Both were students at the same school located along the Batala-Gurdaspur road, and lived just a short distance from each other.
Authorities confirmed that the teenage girl’s mother, Charanjit Kaur, has confessed to helping her daughter in disposing of the body. “This is a classic case of a cold-blooded murder,” an investigator said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Suhail Qasim Mir confirmed that Charanjit Kaur admitted to her role during interrogation. “She helped her daughter bury the body in an 8-foot-deep pit dug in their backyard,” he said.
The body was exhumed Sunday in the presence of Tehsildar Satnam Singh and senior officers, following which a post-mortem examination was conducted.
Sahil’s disappearance did not initially raise concern. “My son had told me he would be back after a few days,” his mother Baby said. However, when he failed to return, she went to the girl’s house to inquire and was overwhelmed by a foul stench. “I immediately suspected something was wrong and informed the police,” she added.
Police later questioned Charanjit Kaur, who allegedly confessed and led them to the burial site.
According to Sahil’s grandfather, Yunus Masih, financial issues may have triggered the crime. “I gave Sahil Rs 1.25 lakh for personal work. He passed the money to the girl, and when he asked for it back, she conspired to kill him,” he alleged.
A murder case has been registered against nine people at Civil Lines police station. Two suspects, including the girl’s mother, have been arrested, while the others—among them the girl herself—remain absconding.
Yunus also said that before the engagement, his family informed the girl’s family that they belonged to the Christian community. “We asked them clearly if they had objections to an inter-caste marriage. They said nothing and carried on with the engagement rituals,” he said.
A manhunt is underway to trace the remaining accused, and officials said further arrests are expected soon.
