Punjab: Parents drug daughters, throw them into canal for having boyfriends

Ludhiana: A couple drugged their daughters and threw them into a canal, on suspicion of having boyfriends without their approval, police said on Wednesday.

According to a Hindustan Times report, one of the sisters, 15-year-old Jyoti, died while her sibling Priti survived. They were found floating in the water by a passerby at the Sidhwan canal near Barewal bridge in Ludhiana.

The sisters were rushed to the hospital where Jyoti passed away.

According to the police, the girls had come late on Monday night, which 'confirmed' the parents’ doubts that they were in relationships. Both of them were studying in Grade 10.

“Her father offered them food laced with drugs. When they lost consciousness, their parents threw them in a canal,” Sub-Inspector Davinder Sharma was quoted as saying.

He further added that the parents had tried to strangle Jyoti before throwing her into the canal.

Priti had first claimed that she was an orphan and used to beg for food. She also said that she used to beg for food at a nearby temple and became unconscious after eating food given by a stranger.

However, after persistent questioning, the girl narrated the incident.

The police are on the lookout for the parents -- Uday Chand and Laxmi – who have been charged with murder and attempted murder.