NRI woman probably murdered in UK

An Indian-origin pregnant woman, who was found dead after a fire at her home in 2008, was most probably murdered as a result of a foul play, a Coroner has said.

Newlywed Kuldeep Sidhu, 25, was found strangled, curled up at the foot of her stairs with a ligature around her neck and an apparent suicide note nearby.
   
Sidhu, from Quinton in Birmingham, who was in the early stages of pregnancy, was killed unlawfully, Coroner Aidan Cotter ruled.

The badly burned body of Sidhu was discovered by firefighters at the home that she shared with her husband in Glyn Farm Road, Quinton, on May 14, 2008. 

The Coroner said: "At first it looked as though the deceased had committed suicide. There was a rope around her neck and a rope tied to the top of the banisters. A suicide note had been carefully  placed in an obvious position in the lounge", he added.

He said, "An attempt was made to destroy the evidence by  burning her body to make it look as if Kuldeep had taken her own life by  hanging". 

Earlier the inquest heard that Sidhu's husband, Baljinder was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife but was released without charge. 

He had denied having anything to do with the killing. 

In a statement after the inquest, Det Sgt Andrew Houston from West Midlands Police, said: "We echo the Coroner's comments heard over the last two days of the inquest and we firmly believe that the answer does  lie with the wider family".