According to the police, Promila’s father Jaswant Singh and brother Sunil murdered her in order to save the honour of the family as she had got pregnant before marriage. Promila, a resident of Kajheri, was found dead on Sunday. The killers had poured acid on her face to avoid identification.

It is the contradictions in the statements of Jaswant, Sunil and Kaushalya, Promila’s mother, which made the police suspicious. They are yet to ascertain the involvement of Kaushalya in the crime.

Being a midwife, the police said, it was not difficult for Kaushalya to find out that her daughter was pregnant. When she told Jaswant about it, he asked her to carry out an abortion but since Promila was five months pregnant, abortion was risky and Kaushalya had to drop the plan, said UT SSP S S Srivastava.

He said the family had assured Promila of marrying her off to the person who had impregnated her, but when she refused to disclose his name, her father and brother hatched a conspiracy to kill her. The two allegedly took Promila to a secluded place on some pretext and killed her.

“They first strangulated the girl and then bludgeoned her with a stone before pouring acid on her face,” said the SSP. “The two also tore off her clothes to suggest a rape attempt,” said Srivastava.

After murdering Promila, the two returned home in the morning. “When Promila’s elder sister asked them about her, the two could not give any convincing reply,” the SSP told mediapersons.