Heart Tattoo, Neha Inked on Hand: Young Woman's Body Found Inside Blue Drum in Punjab's Patiala

A young woman identified as Neha was found dead inside a sealed blue drum near the DCW overbridge in Patiala’s Urban Estate area. The body was discovered near a garbage dump on Tuesday morning. Police identified her through tattoos on her hands after her family had earlier reported her missing. CCTV footage is being checked.

Panic spread across Punjab’s Patiala district on Tuesday morning after the body of a young woman was found stuffed inside a large blue drum near the DCW overbridge in the Urban Estate area. The shocking discovery was made near a garbage dump close to the bridge. Local residents who noticed the drum informed the police after becoming suspicious about the way it had been sealed and abandoned near the roadside.

Police reached the spot soon after receiving the information and opened the drum in the presence of officials. Inside, they found the body of a young woman.

Body Found With Injury Marks

According to police officials, the woman appeared to be between 20 and 22 years old. Initial examination showed minor injury marks on her face, while traces of blood were also noticed on one of her hands.

The drum was blue in colour and tightly closed with a red lid. Police officers said the condition in which the body was found suggested that it had been dumped there deliberately.

Soon after the recovery, forensic experts were called to the scene to collect evidence from the area. The body was later shifted to the mortuary of Government Rajindra Hospital for further examination and identification.

Tattoos Help Police Identify Victim

During the investigation, police found two tattoos on the woman’s arms. One hand had “Neha” written in English, while the other had a heart-shaped tattoo mark.

Speaking about the case, Patiala police officer Gurpreet Singh said the police had received a call in the morning regarding a body inside a drum near the DCW flyover.

He said that after examining the tattoos and other details, police were able to identify the victim as Neha, a woman in her early twenties.

According to police, Neha was the daughter of Sant Lal. Her family originally belongs to Jaunpur district in Uttar Pradesh but is currently living in the Punjabi Bagh area of Patiala.

Family Had Already Filed Missing Complaint

Police said Neha had been missing for the past few days. Her family had earlier filed a missing person complaint with the police.

After the body was identified, officials contacted the family and informed them about the development. Legal formalities are now being completed with the help of the victim’s relatives.

Investigators are now trying to find out how Neha died and who was responsible for dumping her body inside the drum.

CCTV Footage Under Scanner

Police teams have started checking CCTV camera footage from nearby roads and areas around the flyover to trace the movement of the drum and identify those involved.

Officials believe the drum may have been transported to the spot using a vehicle during the early hours when the area was less crowded.

The exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem report is received.

Police said all angles are being investigated and further action will follow based on forensic findings and evidence collected from the scene.

(With inputs from ANI)