Dilroz Kaur Murder Case

November 28, 2021

3:30 pm

Ludhiana, Punjab.

Sitting on duty by the highway like every day, the security guard noticed a lady with a two-and-a-half-year-old girl on a scooter towards a rough road where there was neither any population nor any houses. The road led towards the jungle and empty plots. Everything seemed normal until the same lady returned alone from that road half an hour later. The security guard's mind was puzzled with questions—why did the lady take her child to such a place, leaving her alone there, and why was she returning alone from there? Despite initially suspecting foul play, the security guard walked in that direction to confirm. He had barely walked about 30,40 meters on the rough road when he saw marks of the child's feet on the ground, sending shivers down his spine. Finally, within half an hour, the child had disappeared. Had someone taken her from there, or had some major mishap occurred?

In Ludhiana's Shimlapuri, Harpreet Singh's family, including his father, wife, and two children - elder son Amarpreet and two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Dilroz lived happily. Dilroz was the youngest and the darling of the house. Everyone loved her dearly. However, on November 28, 2021, something happened that the family had never even imagined in their dreams. Dilroz was playing outside her home in the afternoon. When her mother went to call her inside after a while, she realized that Dilroz was nowhere to be found. Her family asked all the children in the neighborhood and checked the nearby houses, but Dilroz was nowhere to be found. Time was passing by, and worry was increasing. An hour went by, but there was still no clue about Dilroz's whereabouts. Dilroz used to play outside before, but this was the first time she had disappeared. Where could she have gone?

Harpreet Singh himself was a head constable in the Punjab Police and was on duty when he received a call from home that Dilroz hadn't returned for quite some time. Harpreet immediately realized that the situation was serious, so without delay, he informed his police staff. Harpreet's entire family and all the neighbors were searching for Dilroz. A police team arrived at the house and started searching for CCTV footage in the area. Among those footage, one caught the attention of the police - it showed a lady taking Dilroz on a scooter and turning towards the Delhi-Amritsar highway. The police continued to search for more footage, but they couldn't find any further CCTV footage. The police team then arrived at Harpreet's house but were shocked to find out that the lady shown in the CCTV footage was Neelam, who lived nearby and was equally worried and concerned about finding Dilroz. Neelam was now a prime suspect.

The police began questioning Neelam about Dilroz. However, they didn't get any satisfactory answers, nor did she agree to accompany them to search for Dilroz. Finally, the police showed Neelam the footage that made her realize that her secret was out. When the police interrogated her properly, she started revealing everything and said, "Let me take you to Dilroz." The police, along with Dilroz's family, escorted Neelam towards the same Delhi-Amritsar highway.

The timely filing of the missing report, the quick retrieval of CCTV footage, and the capture of the lady who took the child—all of this happening so swiftly gave the police a sense of relief that the child would finally be found. On the other hand, Harpreet and his family were desperate to reach their daughter Dilroz. Neelam took them off the highway onto a dirt road about 13 kilometers from their home in Shimlapuri. This area was called Salem Tabri, consisting only of jungle and some empty plots. Neelam pointed to a vacant plot about 50 meters away. What was about to unfold was terrifying for everyone.

The plot Neelam pointed to had a small heap of soil, indicating a freshly filled grave, with Dilroz's shoe prints nearby. Everyone's hearts sank, and though they wanted to scream, no sound came out. Harpreet, in desperation, started removing the soil with his hands. As soon as a little soil was cleared, Harpreet's hand touched Dilroz's hand. Neelam had buried the innocent Dilroz alive. Dilroz had injuries on her head and her mouth was filled with soil, but her body was warm and she was still breathing. Everyone rushed to take Dilroz to DMC Hospital with hope, but unfortunately, little Dilroz passed away before they could reach the hospital.

The police kept a team at the crime scene, where they found the most crucial witness for the case. The security guard, stationed at the checkpoint on the other side of the highway, immediately suspected the police were there about the missing child. He recounted everything he had seen but regretted not acting sooner. The police said that if they had arrived just 10 minutes earlier, they might have saved Dilroz, as she was still alive at that time.

The guard explained that when he first came to the plot, he saw the child's footprints in the soil, which prompted him to inform two officers at the checkpoint. He returned to the plot with them and started searching the area. He initially thought the lady might have sold the child, but he never imagined what had actually happened. The biggest question remaining was why Neelam would commit such a heinous act. For Harpreet Singh's family, Neelam was likely the last person they would suspect, as she was not just a neighbor but also had two children of her own. Dilroz even called her "aunt."

When the police recorded Neelam's statement, her motive shocked everyone. On one hand, Harpreet Singh had a happy family with a good financial condition, while Neelam was divorced and living with her parents and children. Harpreet's children, Amarpreet and Dilroz, were loved by everyone in the neighborhood. People would often bring them sweets, chocolates, and toys. In contrast, Neelam's children were a bit mischievous and frequently received complaints. After her divorce, Neelam's financial situation worsened, and she couldn't provide the same for her children as she saw happening in Harpreet's home. This disparity made her feel that no one gave her children the same affection or gifts, which gradually turned her envy into hatred.

The police also learned that there were outsiders visiting Neelam's house frequently. Being a divorced woman, people in the neighborhood questioned her character and even complained to her mother. Due to this, Neelam decided to move to a different area and had already found a house. On November 28, 2021, around 2:15 PM, Neelam was packing and preparing to move, but she was filled with resentment and a desire for revenge. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Dilroz playing outside. Something snapped in Neelam's mind, and she took Dilroz on her scooter. The innocent Dilroz, thinking she was going for a ride, went along, unaware of Neelam's malicious intentions.

Neelam took Dilroz to a deserted dirt road off the highway, far from any houses, and then to an empty plot. There, she first hit Dilroz on the head with a brick. When the child started crying, Neelam filled her mouth with soil and buried her alive. Dilroz died of suffocation, as confirmed by the autopsy report. Neelam's cruel and senseless act of jealousy and anger had taken the life of an innocent child.

The final judgment in this case came on April 12, 2024. The session court declared it a "rarest of rare" case, condemning Neelam for her cruelty and criminal mindset. The court sentenced her to death. Neelam broke down in court, pleading for her children’s future, but showed no remorse for taking someone else’s child’s life. The pain of losing a child is unparalleled, and with this judgment, Dilroz's parents expressed their gratitude to the court for delivering justice.

This case teaches us two important lessons. First, if you notice any unusual activity and your instincts are signaling something, do not ignore it. A small amount of awareness can save a life. In this case, if the security guard had been a bit more alert and reached the deserted path when Neelam was taking the child there, perhaps Dilroz could have been saved in time. Second, if you have very young children at home, please do not leave them unattended. Times have changed, and trust often leads to betrayal in the most unexpected places, a harsh reality that we must accept.