A 28-year-old Punjabi social media influencer, Manjit Kaur, died during treatment at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here, nearly two months after she was allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and set on fire.
Following a complaint from the mother of the victim, who hailed from Kharar, the Chandigarh Police have registered a case of kidnapping and murder against two persons named by the family. Kaur, who had a following of 1.46 lakh on Instagram and 4,000 on YouTube, is survived by her seven-year-old son.
The killing comes amid growing concerns over violent attacks targeting digital creators in the region. It closely follows the high-profile murder of Ludhiana-based influencer Kanchan Kumari, popularly known as “Kamal Kaur Bhabhi,” who was strangled and found dead inside a car in Bathinda on June 11 last year after self-styled radical leader Amritpal Singh Mehron and his associates targeted her over allegations of posting “vulgar” and objectionable social media content.
The cops are still trying to ascertain the reason behind the killing of the Kharar woman whose content featured reels promoting cosmetic products and videos of popular Punjabi and Haryanvi songs. According to the police, the incident occurred on July 3. Kaur’s mother, Kanta Devi, told cops that two acquaintances, identified as Shubhi and Pinda, called her daughter to a location near a liquor shop in Sector 34, Chandigarh. The suspects allegedly forced Kaur into a car and drove her to Morinda, where she was assaulted, tied to a mulberry tree, and set afire.
{{/usCountry}}The cops are still trying to ascertain the reason behind the killing of the Kharar woman whose content featured reels promoting cosmetic products and videos of popular Punjabi and Haryanvi songs. According to the police, the incident occurred on July 3. Kaur’s mother, Kanta Devi, told cops that two acquaintances, identified as Shubhi and Pinda, called her daughter to a location near a liquor shop in Sector 34, Chandigarh. The suspects allegedly forced Kaur into a car and drove her to Morinda, where she was assaulted, tied to a mulberry tree, and set afire.
{{/usCountry}}A friend of Kaur arrived at the scene, used a blanket to extinguish the flames, and rushed her to a local hospital in Morinda. She was later transferred to a private facility in Mohali before being admitted to PGIMER on July 9. Kaur briefly regained consciousness on August 5 before succumbing to her injuries on August 26.
Kin allege police inaction
Devi accused the Kharar Sadar police of negligence, alleging that despite being notified when Kaur regained consciousness and wished to give a statement, no cop arrived at the hospital. The family said a dying declaration could have provided a crucial evidence.
Kharar deputy superintendent of police Ishan Singla denied the allegations, stating that they had cooperated fully with the family. “Since the place of occurrence falls under Chandigarh jurisdiction, the action was to be taken by Chandigarh Police. Kharar police provided full assistance to the victim’s mother, took her to the concerned police station, and facilitated the registration of the FIR in Chandigarh,” the DSP said.
Police launch manhunt
“A case of kidnapping and murder has been registered on the complaint of woman’s mother,” Chandigarh senior superintendent of police Kanwardeep Kaur said. The SSP added that the medico-legal report (MLR) in the case was initiated by the Kharar police.
The FIR has been registered at the Sector 34 police station under Sections 140(1) (kidnapping), 103(1) (murder), and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), said SHO Inspector Shadi Lal.
DSP (south) Gurjeet Kaur said they have obtained clues regarding the suspects and raids are being conducted to nab them. Investigators are also scanning CCTV footage along the transit route between Chandigarh and Morinda and questioning acquaintances to establish the sequence of events.