22-year-old girl found dead in city’s hotel room

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 3

A girl in her 20s was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a hotel room here on Saturday.

The victim, identified as Amanjit Kaur of Fridkot Kotli village, whose burnt body was found from a hotel room situated in the North Estate area. After the initial investigation, the police suspected it to be a suicide case, but they also said that it would be confirmed after a thorough investigation.

According to the manager of Imperial Hotel, the girl had booked a room on Friday afternoon by saying that she had come to take an exam in the city. The manager said after she completed all the formalities, she went inside her room and never came out afterwards.

The manager added, “She was carrying a handbag with her at check-in time. After occupying her room on the first floor, she came back and paid her room rent. She said she needed the room till 8 am tomorrow. In the evening when our staff members tried to contact on her mobile number to ask for dinner, she did not respond to the phone calls. Our staff members did not contact her after that. In the morning again when we tried to contact her, we got no response from her.

“After the staff members knocked the door, it was locked from inside and nobody answered. Sensing something wrong, we informed the police which reached the spot and subsequently contacted the family members of the girl. Later, in the presence of her family members, police personnel broke open the door to find her burnt body.”

The police have recovered a can of inflammable liquid inside the room. The bed sheet, mattresses and the air-conditioner inside the room were also found burnt. Owing to the fire, the walls, the bed and the floor had a black soot all over them in the room. No case was registered till the filing of the report.

Surprisingly, the manager said no staff member could know that there was any fire in the hotel room. He, however, admitted that staff members felt that there was a smell of smoke for a while.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune, Kulwant Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police-2, said, “We found the burnt body of a 22-year-old girl inside the hotel room. After initial investigation, we suspect it to be a case of suicide, but the final official comment on the matter would be made after we are done with investigation. We have sent the body to the local Civil Hospital for a postmortem. We have recovered an oil can from the room. The victim had told her parents and hotel staff that she had come to the city for taking an examination.”

Victim did not respond to staff’s calls

• Victim Amanjit Kaur was a native of Fridkot Kotli village.
• After checking in she did not respond to any call from the hotel staff till Saturday morning. Sensing trouble, the hotel informed the police, who broke open the door to only find her burnt body.
• The manager said no staff member could know that there was any fire in the hotel room.