Khanna: An 11-year-old girl was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a rented room in Mohanpur village of Ludhiana district on Monday evening. Her parents were away for work when the incident occurred.
The family, which earns its livelihood through daily-wage labour, has been living in the rented accommodation in Mohanpur for some time.
The family had begun preparations for the girl’s cremation on Tuesday morning when police received information about the death. A police team reached the spot, stopped the cremation and took the body into custody. It was sent to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination.
The deceased, Renu, was the youngest of five daughters. Her father, Ram Jitender, said she was a Class 6 student and was passionate about football. She had participated in several competitions and won prizes and trophies, with the family saying she wanted to pursue the sport further.
According to her father, he and his wife had gone to work at a college on Monday as usual. Later that evening, their landlord informed them that Renu was unwell. When they returned home, they found her dead.
The family has described the death as suicide, but police have not confirmed the cause of death.
ASI Charanjit Singh, who is investigating the case, said police were informed by the village sarpanch. The team reached the spot and stopped the cremation in accordance with legal procedure.
The body has been sent for post-mortem. Police said the exact cause of death will be established after the post-mortem report and further investigation. Statements of family members and people living nearby are also being recorded.
