Grandmother facing life for killing

Heathrow Customs officer Surjit Athwal, 27, disappeared "off the surface of the earth" after going to a family wedding in India in December 1998.

Her body was never found but Bachan boasted to her family that she had arranged for her brother to strangle her and throw the body into a river.

Bachan and her son, Surjit's husband bus driver Sukhdave, 43, nearly got away with murder but eventually other frightened family members went to police.

The pair, from Willow Tree Lane, Hayes, west London, were convicted of murder at the Old Bailey and remanded in custody to September 19.

But Bachan burst into tears in disbelief and was led from court waving her hands at the jury and calling out "liars" and "lies".

Judge Giles Forrester said they had been convicted on compelling evidence and told the jurors: "Take no notice of that. Emotions run extremely high in such a case."

Outside court, Surjit's brother Jagdeesh Singh said: "We hope Surjit's landmark case will provide many individuals suffering similar with hope and escape from misery.

"A guilty verdict has brought the struggle and pain of nine years to a positive conclusion. The conviction sends out a powerful signal that this kind of cold, calculated, concealed murder will be seized and punished."

The court was told Surjit was a vivacious Westernised, modern woman but the Athwals made her wear traditional dress and did not approve of her ways. Bachan called a family meeting to discuss her execution after discovering she was having an affair with a married man and wanted a divorce.