Ludhiana: A mother and stepfather strangled their 9-year-old innocent girl to death in Ludhiana, Punjab, because they would have received money from the insurance company after the girl died. According to police, the girl's 27-year-old mother Pinki and her new husband Narinderpal, 31, killed their daughter Bharti inside an cattle feed factory in Hambran on the night of June 19. Police said the couple had in2018 provided life insurance of Rs 2.5 lakh in Bharti's name, which they carried out to remove it.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Harpal Singh informed that Narinderpal lived with his wife, son and stepdaughter Bharti in the cattle feed factory quarters and worked there. The couple had bought a plot for Rs 3 lakh in 2019 and were paying in instalments for the same. He had already paid Rs 1.49 lakh to the bank, but was facing difficulties in paying the rest of the money. It was difficult for them to pay the remaining instalments for the plot, so they planned to kill their daughter Bharti and use the insurance money she received to settle their dues.

As part of their conspiracy, on the night of June 19, while the girl was sleeping, the couple strangled the girl to death with a scarf. On the other hand, the couple took the girl to the hospital to avoid any doubts about her and told doctors that Bharti found her lying unconscious after which doctors declared the baby dead. Neighbours told police that Bharti was Narinderpal's step daughter, so he did not like her and used to beat her. Pinky and Narinderpal initially claimed that the minor died due to natural causes, but the post mortem report revealed strangulation, which dashed all the motives of the accused. On strict interrogation by the police, the two accused admitted that they had conspired to kill their own daughter to overcome their financial constraints.

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