NRI woman murder case: Dehlon police under scrutiny for recording statement of deceased man from Ludhiana’s Kilaraipur

Known for Rural Olympics across the world, Kilairpur village in Ludhiana has now come under the spotlight for the alleged recording of a statement by a man months after his death.

As per police records, Gurpreet Singh of Kilaraipur, who died on May 29, 2025, had recorded his statement months after his death on September 19 before then SHO Dehlon Sukhjinder Singh in connection with the sensational murder of NRI woman Rupinder Kaur.

According to the statement, Gurpreet claimed he had been meeting Rupinder in June 2025 and had last seen her at the house of the key accused, Sukhjit Singh, on July 12, 2025, that too after the demise of the deceased deponent. The statement further mentions that he noticed smoke coming from the accused’s house around 8 pm the same day and allegedly saw Sukhjit shift a jute bag, purportedly carrying mortal remains of Kaur, on a motorcycle the next day.

The document also records that Gurpreet had “read and heard” his statement, as is typically noted in police depositions.

The circumstances under which the statement of a deceased persons was recorded remain unclear. However, the investigating police are in dock, as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought an explanation over the issue by May 18, 2026. The court is hearing a CRM filed by Manvir Singh, one of the accused from Kilaraipur.

“During the course of hearing, learned senior counsel for the petitioner has specifically asserted that the police has relied upon the statement dated September 19, 2025, of one Gurpreet Singh while presenting the challan, whereas the said person had expired on May 29, 2025,” read an order passed recently by Judge Sumeet Goel.

The Judge has also ordered the Special Director General of Police (Law and Order), Punjab, to look into the matter and submit a report by way of an affidavit in the court.

The question, as to whether further investigation of the FIR in question be handed over to the CBI has been kept open, according to the court’s orders.

The Dehlon police is currently probing the murder of Rupinder Kaur, an NRI who had gone missing during her stay at the house of Sukhjit Singh and Manvir Singh in Kilaraipur in July 2025. Manvir Singh has challenged the inclusion of the deceased man’s statement, which is an annexure with the charge-sheet presented in the court.