Nagpur: In a suspected case of ‘honour killing’, a 45-year-old woman Muktabai allegedly murdered her 19-year-old unmarried daughter at their house here after she found that the girl was pregnant.

Muktabai came to know that her daughter, who had dropped out of high school, was having an affair with a boy from the same locality in Wadi area and was three-months pregnant, the Nagpur police said in a statement.

She had asked the girl to terminate the pregnancy, but she refused to do so. Fearing that her pregnancy would harm the reputation of the family, Muktabai decided to kill her daughter, the statement said.

Muktabai allegedly strangulated her daughter with a dupatta at their house around two days ago. The accused allegedly tried to destroy the evidence by attempting to cremate her body with the support of other family members, the release said.

Police officials said some unidentified persons from the locality, however, informed them that the girl had died under suspicious circumstances.

A team from the Wadi police station led by woman sub-inspector S. Kutemate visited the scene of the crime and suspected foul play. The body was sent for autopsy, which revealed that the girl was three-months pregnant and died of strangulation, the police said.

The police interrogated the family after which Muktabai broke down and confessed to having killed the girl, the release said.

Muktabai was arrested on Saturday and a case was registered under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, it said, adding that further investigations were on.