Mumbai, Aug 18 : Actress Priyanka Chopra and American singer Nick Jonas on Saturday solemnised their relationship with a traditional Indian ceremony in the presence of their close family and friends here.

The ceremony, held at Priyanka's residence, follows months of speculations around the relationship status of Priyanka, 36, and Nick, 25. The photographs from the ceremony did the rounds on social media, but an official statement or update from the celebrities is still awaited.

The former beauty queen was dressed in a subtle yellow designer ensemble, and Nick wore a pristine white kurta churidar as he performed the 'puja'.

One of the photographs shows Nick cosying up to Priyanka, who holds on to him, as they stand against a green background with a logo that reads 'NP' -- merged together to denote the amalgamation of the first letter of both their names.

The increased activity at Priyanka's residence since the past two to three days had indicated preparations for a celebration. On Friday evening, people were busy decking up the semi-circular balcony with green foliage.

The paparazzi stationed outside the building captured a priest making his way into the house, as well as Priyanka's cousin Parineeti Chopra -- who too was dressed in yellow -- apart from a slew of relatives.

A party for close friends is likely to follow on Saturday evening. Nick arrived here on Thursday night with his parents -- mother Denise and father Kevin Jonas Sr in tow.

The Jonas patriarch even carried a big Tiffany & Co. bag in his hand, fuelling the rumours about the formal ceremony to celebrate the couple's engagement.

According to international media reports, Tiffany is the jeweller that closed down its London store for Nick to buy an engagement ring for Priyanka, and reportedly the two got engaged on Priyanka's birthday last month on the 18th.

Her sparkler is said to be a five-carat diamond with a price tag of around $300,000, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

On Friday night, Priyanka, Nick and close family members stepped out for a dinner. Priyanka was seen proudly flaunting the rock as she made her way into a hotel, hand-in-hand with Nick, looking visibly elated.

Priyanka is a former Miss World, who established her space in the Hindi film industry with a slew of impressive projects like "Fashion", "Mary Kom", "Barfi!", "Bajirao Mastani" and "7 Khoon Maaf". She forayed into the international showbiz world with a singing career, and eventually landed the lead role in American TV show "Quantico".

It gave her a launchpad that pushed her presence in the global entertainment universe. She made her Hollywood debut with "Baywatch", followed by "A Kid Like Jake". She will also be seen in "Isn't It Romantic?"

Nick is a popular singer and has also acted in "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle", as well as done TV shows like "Hannah Montana", "Camp Rock" and "Scream Queens".

The two have been creating a buzz since a joint appearance at the Met Gala red carpet in 2017, leaving everyone wondering whether they were dating.

At the Met Gala, Priyanka had just laughed off a romance with Jonas, insisting they simply shared an agent and were friends. She had also said they went to the Met Gala together as they were both wearing ensembles by Ralph Lauren.

In December last year, Jonas, while promoting "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle", had expressed a desire to visit India.

"I've never been (to India), but I'm dying to go and I have now heard from Priyanka, my new friend, a lot about it," Jonas had told IANS in a statement.

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Karwar: Uttara Kannada police have cracked a murder case in which a Belagavi youth was killed and his body burnt inside a car to make it appear like a road accident.

Addressing a press meet in the city, Superintendent of Police Deepan M.N. said three accused from Old Hubballi have been arrested in connection with the case. The crime was a pre-planned act driven by personal enmity, he said.

The case came to light on April 8 morning when a car (KA-04/MJ-8996) was found completely burnt in a roadside ditch near Talekumbri bus stand in Yellapur. Only charred human remains were found inside the vehicle. Initially, it was suspected to be an accident caused by overspeeding, and a case was registered at Yellapur police station based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s father, Jagannath Dhapale.

However, the father later expressed suspicion that his son’s death was not accidental, prompting a detailed investigation.

Taking the matter seriously, two special teams were formed under the leadership of Yellapur Inspector Ramesh Hanapur. On analysing technical evidence and CCTV footage, police found that it was a planned murder.

The accused have been identified as Abdul Raheem Basheer Ahmed Mujawar (32), Maulasab Bavahan Wada (36) and Dadapeer alias Aftab Mehboob Saab Balasangi (22), all chicken traders from Old Hubballi.

Police have seized the car used in the crime along with two scooters. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

Investigations revealed that the accused killed Nitesh Dhapale due to personal enmity and later set the car on fire along with the body to project it as an accident.

SP Deepan M.N. appreciated the efforts of Inspector Ramesh Hanapur, PSIs Rajashekhar Vandali and Siddappa Gudi, and the entire team for solving the complex case.