‘GURDASPUR GIRLS DID NOT DIE TAKING SELFIE BUT BLUFFED TO FLEE HOME’

AFTER DIVERS FAILED TO FIND BODIES IN CANAL, POLICE QUESTIONED SOPHIA, WHO WAS WITH THEM, AND SHE SAID THEY HAD FLED IN A CAR

BATALA (GURDASPUR): A day after reports that two young women had drowned in a canal near Sathiali village, 25 km from here, while they were clicking a selfie on the banks, their companion at the time has reportedly said it never happened.

On Saturday, police said Sophia (16), who was with her sister Lovepreet (21) and cousin Nisha (18) on the pretext of a morning walk on Friday, told them that they had actually fled with unidentified person(s) in a car. While some news reports claimed more detail about who they fled with, police said Sophia did not have any further information about the car or its occupants.

On Friday evening, rescuers failed to trace the bodies of the two women — who were reported to be minors on Friday — even after the district administration got stopped the flow of water into the Upper Bist-Doab Canal (UBDC). Army divers too failed to find any trace, at which the police started questioning Sophia, and she said they had fled in a car.

After an hour, she said that “the girls have gone to Mumbai to live a lavish life”, police claimed.

While Lovepreet is a BA student at SM college, Kahnuwan, Nisha passed Class 12 this year.The trio had stayed together at Sophia’s house on Thursday night. Lovepreet and Sophia’s father, Balwinder Masih, is a travel agent and runs a grocery shop in the village. He refused to comment.

“We are working on various theories,” said BS Virk, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Gurdaspur. “Sophia, the lone eyewitness, is changing her statements time and again. Teams have been sent to various cities and, hopefully, we will trace them within 24 hours.”

No case has so far been registered. “Once the girls are traced or their bodies were recovered, a case will be registered accordingly,” he said.