UK-Based NRI Accused of Orchestrating Murder of 71-Year-Old Indian American Woman in Ludhiana

A 71-year-old Indian American woman was bludgeoned with a baseball bat, and her body was burned before being dumped in a drain. Police investigation revealed that the murder was carried out at the behest of a UK-based NRI man whom she was to marry, a police investigation has revealed.

According to PTI, Charanjit Singh Grewal, a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) from Ludhiana who had previously been based in England and was initially her husband's intended partner, but ultimately declined, invited the victim, Rupinder Kaur Pandher, to travel to India from Seattle.  Police say she was slain in July.

Sukhjeet Singh, a native of Kila Raipur in Ludhiana Patti and a typist in the Ludhiana court, has been taken into custody by police for the woman's murder.

According to a police official, portions of the woman's skeletal remains were found in the drain.

After the Ludhiana police named suspects in a formal complaint regarding Pandher's disappearance, the issue became public knowledge. Singh filed the FIR in August to allay suspicions. According to police, he informed them that Pandher had departed for the Delhi airport in order to travel to Canada and attend a wedding.

Kamal Kaur Khairah, Pandher's sister, became suspicious on July 24 after discovering her cell phone was off. The US embassy in New Delhi was notified by Khairah, and they urged the local police to investigate.

Pandher and Grewal came into contact with each other on a matrimonial website and started dating, police said.

Pandher, who was earlier married twice, had been declared a proclaimed offender in a property dispute case with her relatives, and Grewal asked Singh to help her. Pandher had even transferred her power of attorney to Singh and was living in his house here, they said.

Grewal did not want to marry Pandher and asked Singh to eliminate her. The NRI promised to pay Rs 50 lakh to Singh for killing the woman, and that he would help him move abroad after the crime, police said.

Singh is accused of killing Pandher on July 12 by striking her with a baseball bat.  They claimed that he then used coal to burn the body, placed her remains in gunny sacks, and disposed of them in a drain.

Some of the victim's remains have been found by authorities, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rupinder Singh.

Additionally, Pandher's broken cell phone has been found.  According to the officer, the accused used a hammer to destroy her iPhone, which has since been found.

Police claim that Singh later had his residence painted in an effort to hide evidence.

Singh has confessed to killing Pandher in his house. Grewal, who is abroad, has also been booked in the case, police said.