Skeletal remains of Indian-origin US citizen recovered from drain

The police have recovered a part of the skeletal remains of 71-year-old US citizen of Indian origin Rupinder Kaur Pandher, who was allegedly murdered by a contract killer hired by her would-be groom over two months ago.

The partially burnt skeletal parts of the victim were recovered by a team of police officials, supervised by Assistant Commissioner of Police Harjinder Singh Gill, from a drain near Lehra village, around 7 km from the house, where the murder was committed.

The woman was allegedly killed by Sukhjeet Singh Sonu of Kila Raipur village, Ludhiana, on the behest of a 75-year-old UK-based NRI from Mehma Singh Wala village here.

The main suspect, Sukhjeet, has confessed to murdering the victim on the night of July 12-13, under instructions from her would-be groom, Charanjit Singh Grewal, according to the police.

The police revealed that the victim was lured to Punjab under the pretext of marriage. She had reportedly transferred large amounts of money to accounts linked to Sonu and his brother. Investigators now believe that monetary gain was the primary motive behind the brutal killing.

According to ACP Harjinder Singh Gill and SHO Sukhjinder Singh, Sonu confessed to killing Rupinder Kaur and attempting to destroy the evidence by burning her body with diesel inside a storeroom at his residence. He then cooled the body remains with water and disposed of a part of the same in a drain near Lehra village. The police have recovered the skeletal remains, which are being used to confirm the victim’s identity.

The case came to light recently after Rupinder Kaur’s sister, Kamal Kaur Khairah, reported her missing sister and alerted the US Embassy in India on July 28, after repeated failed attempts to contact her. The breakthrough came when a friend informed them about Sonu’s detention by the Dehlon police.

Investigation has revealed that Charanjit, who resides in England but hails from Mehma Singh Wala village, allegedly plotted the murder and promised Sonu Rs 50 lakh to commit the crime. Police say Rupinder Kaur had transferred funds to both Sonu and his brother prior to her disappearance.

Charanjit has been named as the main conspirator and the authorities are working to gather further evidence and pursue his arrest. The police have also seized evidence from Sonu’s property and are continuing forensic analysis.

The ACP confirmed ongoing efforts to recover other body remains and documentation as the case moves towards formal charges and potentially international cooperation in apprehending the UK-based suspect.

Rupinder Kaur, a native of Butahri village in Ludhiana district, residing in the United States, had arrived in India earlier this year after accepting a marriage proposal from Charanjit.

The two reportedly had been in touch for several months and visiting various places of their mutual interest.

The police have also recovered a number of photographs exhibiting intimacy between Charanjit and the victim.