A-level girl is murdered

A girl of 17 has been found murdered on a patch of wasteland near her home.

Jeshma Raithatha was an aspiring model, actress and singer who was about to sit her A-levels when she disappeared from college last week.

Her body was discovered yesterday in thick undergrowth near a sports club 500 yards from her family home in Greenford, west London.

Today her parents Suresh and Manjula Raithatha told how their daughter's life "was about to take off ".

Jeshma wanted to be a professional singer after attending university and wrote of her ambitions on several websites.

On one messageboard for musicians she said: "I love music. I am a singer with a strong voice. I have a lot of experience. I love the stage, the glamour, lights, auditions and everything."

On another site, which promotes voiceover work, she says she can perform in English and Hindi and offers dubbing for TV, films and commercials.

She wrote: "I am used to performing in front of an audience and I go to singing lessons to keep training my voice further." Jeshma was also a keen clarinet player and enjoyed writing her own songs.

She went missing last Monday, three days before her 18th birthday, after being dropped off at college by her mother. Mrs Raithatha, who has a 15-year-old son and a daughter of 12, said: "Jeshma was in a happy state and was looking forward to her life. She had planned a holiday with her friends to the Canary Islands.

"Her birthday was on a weekday and she was not sure if her friends would come with the exams on. I think they were planning to go out for a meal in Park Royal.

"We did a puja, a Hindu prayer, at home on her birthday, to give her strength."

A former school friend of Jeshma today said: "She was always there when I needed her. She was really friendly and warm-hearted. Everyone got on with her. It's incredible."

Jeshma was last seen at Claremont High School in Kenton on 16 May. She was wearing a blue jumper, navy blue jeans and was carrying a black school bag with red hearts on it. She also wore three silver bangles and had a nose stud.

Mrs Raithatha said: "I dropped her at school for a revision lesson. She usually leaves a note for me, saying something like 'I have gone to the gym', but there was nothing.

"At four or five o'clock it started raining. I called her mobile phone and left a message. It was getting a bit late. I texted her. She always replies to a text message. About 6pm, I started to get worried. I called the police at 10pm. I got the impression that it was not that unusual for a 17- or 18-year-old to be gone for few hours. I was calling all her friends. They were all linked with each other. Her friends came around at night. We knew something had happened." One neighbour said: "Jeshma and her family had only been living in Greenford for a couple of years.

"She was a very polite, well-spoken girl who respected her parents. My thoughts and prayers are with them." Another added: "It's usually quite safe round here and there's a strong and tight-knit Asian community. But to think that there's a killer on the loose makes me feel very scared."

Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.