The body of a young engineer, who had gone missing from his village in Haryana’s Karnal district Dec 13, has been recovered from an irrigation canal and the death is suspected to be a case of “honour killing”, police said Wednesday.

Police officials said that the family members of a girl from the same village have been booked for the murder of the youth, Ravinder, 23, a resident of Kutel village in Karnal district, 130 km from here.

The girl’s father and uncle were arrested earlier, while her brother was arrested Wednesday.

The suspected killing of the youth had led to a communal flare-up in the village a fortnight back. Local youths clashed with members of a particular community and damaged property. Police reinforcements were rushed to the village and have been stationed there.

Police officials said that the victim was in love with a girl of the Muslim community from the same village. Ravinder’s father told police that Ravinder went out of the house on Dec 13 night and never returned.

He remained missing for 19 days till his body was recovered from the canal Tuesday evening.

The victim, an engineer, was to join his first job with an MNC in Gurgaon Dec 15 but he went missing two days before that.

Madhuban station house officer (SHO) Vijay Kumar said that the victim was in love with the girl, who was his neighbour.

  engineer, honour killing, Karnal