Punjab girl accused of hiring contract killers to off parents, brother

GlobalPost

We often hear of honor killings - but in a macabre twist on the typical story, a Punjab girl was caught hiring contract killers to murder her parents and her brother, who did not approve of her upcoming nuptials to an already-married man, reports the Times of India. 

According to the Times of India, the Sangrur girl, Manpreet Kaur, was "furious" over her families decision to disallow her from seeing her intended, causing her to hire the killers.

The Hindustan Times reports the killers failed in their duty three times, only managing to murder Jarnail Singh, a 20-year-old domestic helper who slept at the family compound. 

The killers fled when the family woke up after Singh was murdered. 

Kaur was nineteen years old, reports the Hindustan Times, and has been arrested. She is currently awaiting trial. 

Accused contract killers Karmajit alias Neeta, Sukhwinder Singh, Satgur Singh, Paramjit Singh and Ratandeep Singh are also in detention, reports the Hindustan Times. 

The Punjab is infamous in India for honor-killings, including a June incident where a father murdered both his 21-year-old daughter and her 24-year-old lover. According to the Times of India, the girl's kin refuse to claim her body, forcing police to perform the last rites. 

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.