US woman ‘murdered’ in Kila Raipur village by contract killer hired by would-be groom

A 71-year-old US citizen of Indian origin, Rupinder Kaur Pandher, was allegedly murdered in in Kila Raipur village, Ludhiana, after she travelled from Seattle to marry a 75-year-old man.

The incident occurred in late July in Kila Raipur village, Ludhiana, but only came to light recently when the police named suspects in an FIR that had earlier been filed regarding her disappearance. The would-be bridegroom, Charanjit Singh Grewal, is based in England and had reportedly invited Rupinder Kaur to Kila Raipur for their wedding, according to the police.

Rupinder Kaur’s sister, Kamal Kaur Khairah, had raised concerns about her missing sister back in July. She contacted the US Embassy in India on July 28, four days after the victim’s phone was found switched off. Following her persistent efforts, the US Embassy reportedly took up the matter with the local police. It was only last Thursday that the Khairah family received a call from a friend, informing them about Rupinder Kaur’s suspected murder and the detention of Sukhjeet Singh Sonu by the Dehlon police.

Police investigations revealed that the woman was allegedly murdered and her body burnt in a storeroom of a house in Kila Raipur. The motive, according to police sources, was to steal lakhs of rupees that Rupinder Kaur had allegedly transferred to her would-be bridegroom.

The main suspect, Sukhjeet Singh Sonu, of Malha Patti, Kila Raipur, reportedly confessed to killing Rupinder Kaur and burning her body in a room of his house. He told the police that he committed the murder at the behest of Charanjit Singh Grewal, an NRI from Mehma Singh Wala village in Ludhiana, who had promised to pay him Rs 50 lakh.

Kamal Kaur told The Tribune over the phone that Charanjit had promised to marry Rupinder Kaur and asked her to reach Kila Raipur, where he would join her from the UK. She also revealed that Rupinder Kaur had transferred large amounts of money into the accounts of Sonu and his brother.

According to a status report submitted by Dehlon SHO Sukhjinder Singh, Sonu confessed to killing the victim in conspiracy with Charanjit, who had promised him Rs 50 lakh in cash. The status report further stated that the police recovered pieces of evidence from Sonu’s house.

ACP Harjinder Singh Gill confirmed that the police were in the process of collecting further evidence, including locating the skeletal remains of the deceased based on information provided by Sonu. He also confirmed that Charanjit has been named as a suspect in the case.