Dilroz murder case: Ludhiana court convicts neighbour for killing two-year-old girl by burying her alive

Advocate PS Ghuman, counsel for the victim’s parents, said that the court has convicted Neelam for the gruesome murder of the toddler. The quantum of punishment will be announced on Monday, April 15, said Ghuman.

Police said that Neelam planned the toddler’s murder due to an old rivalry she had with the family. She buried the child alive after digging a pit in a field near Salem Tabri. After the incident, the accused returned home and started behaving normally.

However, she confessed during interrogation after police scanned CCTVs and found her taking the girl away on her scooter. An FIR under section 364 (kidnapping with intent to kill) of IPC was registered at the Shimlapuri police station, and after the child’s death, sections 302 and 201 of IPC were added.

Police stated that after Dilroz went missing, police teams searched houses of neighbors, including Neelam’s. She not only denied having any knowledge about Dilroz but also tried to behave normally. When police scanned CCTVs installed in the area, they spotted Neelam taking away the toddler on her scooter. Police rounded up the woman and interrogated her. During questioning, she confessed to her crime and said she had buried the girl in a pit in fields in Salem Tabri. Police rescued the toddler and rushed her to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), but she had died.

A few days before the incident, Neelam had a spat with Harpreet Singh and his wife over a minor issue. Police stated that she harbored a grudge against them.