Police apprehended the girl’s father Lakhan and his aide Raju. Investigators said they have confessed to the crime.(Reprentative image)

A budding love story, a hostile family, a young girl's murder, and police intervention just as the body was about to be cremated. This was the sequence of events that played out in north Delhi's Azadpur.

In July this year, Adarsh Nagar police received information that a girl named Sheetal committed suicide and her family members have taken her to the cremation ground in a hurry.

Police reached the girl's residence and learnt that her family members had taken the body for last rites at Kewal Park cremation ground.

Cops then rushed to the cremation ground and found that Sheetal's body was already put on the pyre and all arrangements were made for cremation.

Intervention by the police team, however, stopped the cremation. Cops then took the body to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BJRM) Hospital for post mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death.

The doctor at BJRM hospital mentioned 'multiple external injuries due to asphyxia caused by manual strangulation' or throttling. Adarsh Nagar police then registered a case and started the investigation.

Though the incident took place on July 24, it came to light only recently after police apprehended the girl's father Lakhan (50) and his aide Raju (30). Raju is also a resident of Azadpur. Investigators said they have confessed to the crime.

Sources in the police department said that the girl's father was reportedly unhappy over her relationship with a boy for which they would get into arguments often.

Further investigation is underway and the role of other suspects is also being probed.