Bathinda man, friend flee after leaving woman's body in hotel in Kullu's Kasol

The Himachal Pradesh Police have registered a murder case against two youths who are allegedly absconding after abandoning the body of a 23-year-old woman in the reception of a hotel in Kullu's Kasol on Saturday night.

Akash Deep Singh from Bathinda district in Punjab, his friend, and the woman had been staying in room number 904 since January 10. A woman receptionist and two other staff members were having dinner in the restaurant at around 12.30 am when they saw the two youths come down the stairs.

They were carrying the woman. The receptionist and the other staff became suspicious and enquired them. The two claimed that the woman had fallen in the bathroom and fainted after consuming liquor, and that they were taking her to hospital.

They asked for directions to the hospital, and the receptionist told them to wait. She said she would speak with the manager and send the hotel staff with them. On hearing this, the youths placed the body on the floor and fled in their SUV, bearing a Punjab registration number. The staff found the woman's body cold.

The police were called and took the woman to hospital, where the doctors declared her dead on arrival. White foam was coming from her mouth.

Kullu ASP Sanjeev Chauhan said the statements of the staff had been recorded. He said, “Both the accused are absconding after the incident. The police are investigating the case and have set up roadblocks at various places to apprehend them. The police are trying to determine the antecedents of the deceased.”

This is the second murder case in Manikaran valley in a week.

Last Tuesday, an elderly woman home-stay owner was murdered, and her husband critically injured. The assailants fled with Rs. 60,000. No arrests have been made in either case.