US citizen Rupinder Kaur was a PO, facing lookout circular

Indian-origin US citizen Rupinder Kaur Pandher, aka ‘Rupy’, who was allegedly killed by Sukhjeet Singh Sonu at the behest of her would-be-groom, was herself declared a proclaimed offender (PO) in a case registered against her in the past at the NRI police station here.

As a Lookout Circular (LOC) was also issued for her arrest, the suspects had planned her entry in India from the Chennai airport and also her return to the US through Nepal for fear of being caught.

As nature would have done it, Rupinder Kaur had insisted to visit India and stay at Kilaraipur against advice and warnings of her relatives, including her sister Kamaldeep Kaur Khairah, who is pursuing her case now.

Lamenting that the investigating police failed to recover her sister’s belongings, including jewellery, valuables and documents, Khairah said she would soon plan a visit to Punjab and stay here till justice was provided and all accomplices of the conspirator, Charanjit Singh Grewal, are nabbed along with paraphernalia used for preparing fake documents.

Khairah has also produced a copy of an FIR registered against Sukhjeet at the PAU police station under Section 420 for allegedly duping a renowned real estate dealer of lakhs of rupees in multiple cases. This defied the police’s claim that he was not having a criminal past.

It was learnt that earlier also Rupinder Kaur visited India a few years ago after her father’s death in connection with management of the latter’s immovable property at Agar Nagar in Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Rauni in the Khanna subdivision.

Khairah alleged that the suspects had exploited the helplessness of Rupinder Kaur for alluring her to Kilaraipur and then eliminating her as they thought that none of her siblings would come to India to pursue her murder case.

Khairah said besides her, Rupinder Kaur had three siblings. One of the brothers had died in 2008. Another brother and a sister are confined to bed due to illnesses.

“As I am the only one who can come physically and pursue the case, I will soon plan a visit along with my husband and we will stay in the city till all suspects are arrested by the police,” she said.

Meanwhile, Grewal has pleaded innocence on a social media networking site and paid gratitude to his community in the region for supporting him.

“I will tell my side stories. I did not kill her or I did not pay any one for her murder. Please trust me. I will not let you down, my family, friends and village. Thanks for the support and love,” reads the message uploaded on the Facebook account of Grewal. He has also uploaded his picture with Rupinder Kaur at a shrine.

The victim was allegedly killed by Sukhjeet of Kilaraipur village at the behest of Grewal, the 75-year-old UK-based NRI from Mehma Singh Wala village.

Dehlon SHO Sukhjinder Singh on the other hand claimed that the investigation was going on during extended police remand of Sukhjeet and the police would recover all valuables related to the case.