Elderly woman killed in Ludhiana; UK‑based NRI accused of conspiracy

A 72‑year‑old US citizen, Rupinder Kaur, was brutally murdered and her body burned inside a shop at a house in Kilaraipur village. She had been staying there in anticipation of an NRI from Mehma Singh Wala village — who had allegedly promised to marry her.

The house owner, Sukhjeet Singh Sonu of Malha Patti Kilaraipur — who had filed a complaint at Dehlon Police Station on August 18 regarding the alleged detention of Rupinder Kaur by unknown individuals after she left for Delhi Airport to attend a wedding in Canada 10 days prior — has now confessed to killing her and destroying her body.

He informed the police that he had killed the woman at the instance of Charanjit Singh, a UK‑based NRI from Mehma Singh Wala village, who had promised to pay him Rs 50 lakh.

The deceased’s sister, Kamal Kaur Khaira, had earlier alleged that Sonu had killed her sister Rupinder when she was staying at his house in July. She had sought the intervention of the US Embassy in India on July 28, four days after Rupinder’s phone was found switched off.

It was on last Thursday that the family received a call from one of their friends about Rupinder’s suspected murder and Sonu’s detention by the Dehlon police.

The police have informed the Khaira family about registration of a case against Sonu for alleged murder in conspiracy with Charanjit Singh Grewal. The family has urged the higher authorities to recover Rupinder’s body.

Referring to information received from her sister, Kamal said that Charanjit Singh Grewal had promised to marry Rupinder and asked her to reach Kilaraipur, where he would join her from the UK. The deceased had also transferred huge amounts in the accounts of Sonu and his brother.

The Dehlon police are tight-lipped about the outcome of an inquiry made in connection with a missing report filed by Sonu on August 18. But perusal of a status report submitted by Dehlon SHO on Tuesday revealed that Sonu had confessed about killing Rupinder in conspiracy with Charanjit Singh Grewal.

“During investigation, Sukhjeet Singh admitted that he had killed Rupinder Kaur on instance of NRI Charanjit Singh Grewal of Mehma Singh Wala village in Ludhiana, who had promised to pay Rs 50 lakh in cash,” reads a paragraph of the status report submitted by Dehlon SHO Sukhjinder Singh on Tuesday.

The report further revealed that the police have also recovered evidence from Sonu’s house.