A 19-year-old woman was allegedly murdered and clandestinely cremated in a suspected case of dishonour killing for which three people, including a policeman attached with Punjab chief minister's security wing, were arrested, officials said on Tuesday.
The woman's family members doubted her character. She was killed on the intervening night of April 25-26, the police said.
Five people were charged and three of them were arrested under sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those of murder. The accused were identified as, Satdev, his son Swaraj, Balwinder Kaur, Gurdeep Singh, all of Soli village, and Lala of Birampur village, they said.
The woman's cousin, Gurdeep Singh, is employed with the state police and is attached with Punjab chief minister's security wing, the police said.
Garhshankar Station House Officer (SHO) Iqbal Singh said he was tipped off that someone was cremated secretly in the early hours of Sunday at the cremation ground in Soli.
He, along with a police party, rushed to the spot and after cooling the pyre collected bones and ashes.
The police said Jaspreet Kaur, daughter of Gurdial Singh of Soli, went missing on April 22. Later, Jaspreet was traced near Garhshankar railway station.
Her family suspected that she was with Amanpreet of Bhajlan village during the period she had gone missing, the SHO said.
The woman's family was under the impression that she brought shame to the family, the SHO said.
Her family members allegedly gave her sleeping pills on the intervening night of April 25-26. When she became unconscious, they allegedly strangled her to death, the SHO said.
He said Satdev, Balwinder Kaur and Gurdeep were arrested and police are searching for the remaining accused. The arrested accused confessed to the crime, the SHO said.
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