Woman found murdered in Amritsar hotel, police book husband

A married woman was found murdered, seemingly committed with a sharp-edged weapon, in a hotel located on Court Road here on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Prabhjot Kaur, a resident of Varraich village in Gurdaspur district.

She had recently returned from Austria with her husband and their seven-month-old son. The police have booked the victim’s husband, Mandeep Singh Dhillon, who has been missing since the incident and is suspected to be involved in the murder. A hunt has been launched to trace his whereabouts, the police said.

Family members of the deceased alleged that Mandeep Singh Dhillon was suspicious of Prabhjot Kaur’s character, which frequently led to quarrels in their married life. Lovepreet Singh, the victim’s brother, said Prabhjot Kaur was married about eight years ago to Mandeep Singh Dhillon, a resident of Jethuwal village in Amritsar district.

Lovepreet said the initial years of the marriage were peaceful, but domestic disputes later became frequent due to the husband’s suspicious nature. He further said the couple had been residing in Austria and had recently returned to India to organise a religious ceremony following the birth of their son.

The victim’s father, Makhan Singh, said his daughter had been married into a respectable family and that there were no major disputes for a long time, though tensions had reportedly escalated in recent months. “A few days ago, they organised a bhog ceremony in connection with their son’s birth and were also preparing to celebrate Lohri. During this period, a dispute broke out between them,” he said.

Makhan Singh said Mandeep Singh brought Prabhjot Kaur from her village while their child remained there. “Last night, they stayed at a hotel in Amritsar, where my daughter was murdered,” he added.

Providing details, Assistant Commissioner of Police Lakhwinder Singh Kaler said the police control room received information around 1.30 pm through the emergency helpline 112 about a woman’s body found in a hotel on Court Road. A police team immediately rushed to the spot and initiated an investigation.

“Preliminary inquiries revealed that the deceased and her husband often had altercations. Based on statements from the victim’s family members, a case of murder has been registered. Further investigation is underway, and efforts are being made to arrest the accused at the earliest,” the ACP said.