Ludhiana: In a chilling case that has sent shockwaves across Punjab and abroad, a 67-year-old US citizen who travelled from Seattle to marry a UK-based NRI was brutally murdered in Ludhiana after allegedly being lured with false promises. Police have arrested one suspect and named the would-be groom as the main accused.
The victim, Rupinder Kaur Pandher, arrived in Ludhiana in July after transferring a large sum of money to Charanjit Singh Grewal, a 75-year-old UK resident originally from the region. According to investigators, Grewal reneged on his marriage promise after receiving the funds and allegedly plotted her killing with the help of an accomplice.
Police said Sukhjeet Singh Sonu, a typist at the Kila Raipur court complex, confessed to the crime after his arrest. On July 12, Pandher was allegedly taken to Sonu’s house, where she was struck with a baseball bat and killed. Her body was then burned, packed into four sacks and thrown into a drain in Ghungrana village near Ludhiana. A damaged iPhone belonging to her was also recovered from the site.
Investigators revealed that Grewal had promised Sonu ₹50 lakh for carrying out the killing, though the amount was never paid. The plot came to light after Pandher’s sister raised an alarm when her phone was found switched off around July 24. She contacted the US Embassy in Delhi, which led local police to launch an investigation.
“This is a case of betrayal and premeditated murder. We are verifying financial transactions and all digital evidence to build a watertight case,” police officials said.
With Sonu behind bars, Grewal — currently in the UK — has been named the main accused. Police are now working with international agencies to trace him. Investigators are also scrutinising bank records to track the money Pandher had transferred before her trip.
