Ludhiana, Sept. 17 — A 72-year-old American citizen of Indian origin, who travelled from Seattle to Punjab in hopes of marrying a fellow NRI, was brutally murdered in July in what police described as a calculated conspiracy driven by greed.
Police said the victim, Rupinder Kaur Pandher, was deceived by 75-year-old UK-based NRI Charanjit Singh Grewal, who allegedly promised to marry her but instead arranged her killing through a hired contract killer. The shocking revelation came after weeks of investigation into her disappearance.
According to police, Pandher’s sister, Kamal Kaur Khaizah, who lives in the United States, alerted the US Embassy in India after losing contact with her sibling when she reached Kila Raipur village in Ludhiana district on Grewal’s invitation. What was supposed to be a wedding trip ended in tragedy when Pandher went missing soon after her arrival.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Harjinder Singh Gill said the main suspect, identified as Sukhjeet Singh alias Sonu of Malha Patti in Kila Raipur, confessed to killing the woman on the intervening night of July 12 and 13. “The accused admitted to brutally murdering Rupinder and setting her body ablaze in a storeroom of his house,” Gill told reporters.
Sonu, according to investigators, revealed that Grewal had promised to pay him ₹50 lakh for the killing. The accused allegedly used diesel to burn the body, poured water to cool the remains, and then dumped the skeletal fragments in a drain near Lehra village. Police have since recovered partial remains, which have been sent for forensic examination to confirm the victim’s identity.
Investigators further discovered that Pandher had transferred significant sums of money to Grewal and his brother, believing it was meant for wedding expenses. “Instead, her fortune became the bait in a calculated conspiracy to murder her,” ACP Gill said.
Police have registered an FIR against Grewal, his brother and other accomplices, who remain absconding. Authorities said financial gain was the primary motive. “This case is not just a murder but a horrifying betrayal of trust and human decency,” Gill remarked.
Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend Grewal, who has been named as the prime accused in the case.
