Mom, Stepdad 'Got Rid' Of 9-Year-Old Girl By Strangling Her To Death; Charged

A couple has been booked for murder after being accused of strangling a 9-year-old girl to death. The victim is the woman's daughter from first marriage, police said.

The couple from Ludhiana, a city in the northern Indian state of Punjab, initially tried to cover up their involvement in murder and brought the deceased child to a hospital Sunday.

The minor's mother, Pinky, and her stepfather, Narinderpal Singh, claimed that the child did not wake up from her sleep. They said she was found "unconscious" when they woke up from their sleep. However, the child was pronounced "brought dead" at the hospital.

An autopsy report later revealed that the cause of death was strangulation. The hospital authorities informed the police and they started an investigation about the case, news outlet Hindustan Times reported.

“Subsequently, the police rounded up the parents and questioned them. A murder case has been lodged against them and they have been arrested,” Gurpreet Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police, said.

The girl's stepdad who reportedly disliked the child often used to beat her. An investigation revealed that Pinky used to assault the victim.

The police said the couple wanted to get rid of the child somehow. The investigators believe that the couple strangled the minor girl Sunday and later rushed the deceased child to the hospital.

During interrogation, both Pinky and Singh have confessed to the crime, police said, as reported by Indian Express.

Recently, a pregnant woman was arrested in Punjab for allegedly murdering her 3-year-old stepson. The woman reportedly disliked the child from her husband's first marriage and used to beat him often. Police have registered a murder case against Amarjit Kaur after her stepson died on June 17. Kaur told the police that she had slapped the child several times after which the child “banged into a wall.” The child's father was away during the incident. The police said Kaur used to get irritated at the child when he would wet the bed. The police are awaiting an autopsy report to determine the exact cause of the child's death.