Body burnt, stuffed in sacks: Indian-origin US woman murdered after travelling to India to marry NRI man

 

By Sagaya Fernando | September 20, 2025

Ludhiana, Punjab, INDIA: A 71-year-old Indian-origin woman from the United States, who travelled to Punjab to marry a UK-based Non-Resident Indian (NRI), was brutally murdered in July in what police describe as a premeditated conspiracy for financial gain.

The victim, identified as Rupinder Kaur Pandher, a resident of Seattle, had arrived in Ludhiana earlier this year to marry Charanjit Singh Grewal (75), a UK-based NRI originally from Mehma Singh Wala village in Ludhiana. The two had reportedly met through a matrimonial website.

According to police, Grewal had no intention of marrying Rupinder but lured her to India under the promise of marriage. Once in Punjab, she was made to stay at the home of his long-time acquaintance Sukhjeet Singh alias Sonu (42), a typist at the Ludhiana district court complex in Kila Raipur.

Murder Plot Unfolds

Investigations reveal that Grewal allegedly promised Sonu ₹50 lakh and help in settling abroad if he killed Rupinder. On the night of July 12–13, Sonu allegedly bludgeoned Rupinder to death with a baseball bat inside his house.

In an attempt to destroy evidence, Sonu is said to have procured large amounts of coal and diesel, set the body on fire over two days, and later stuffed the burnt skeletal remains into sacks, which he dumped in a drain near Lehra village. He also smashed her iPhone with a hammer before discarding it.

Cover-Up and Suspicion

Following the murder, Sonu filed a missing person complaint on August 18, claiming Rupinder had left for Canada to attend a wedding. Villagers, however, grew suspicious after noticing a room in Sonu’s house freshly painted and re-tiled, which had been blackened by smoke from the fire. Their suspicions eventually reached the police.

Meanwhile, Rupinder’s sister, Kamal Kaur Khairah, who lives abroad, grew alarmed after losing contact with her sibling from July 24 onward. She reported the matter to the US Embassy in India, which in turn pressed local police for action.

Break in the Case

The breakthrough came in September when police detained Sonu based on a tip-off. During interrogation, he confessed to the murder and detailed the role of Charanjit Grewal in orchestrating the crime. Acting on his statement, police recovered skeletal remains and the hammer used to destroy Rupinder’s phone.

Financial Angle

Investigators have also traced significant bank transactions from Rupinder to Sonu and his brother, allegedly at Grewal’s behest. Police believe financial gain was the primary motive, as Grewal wanted to retain the money transferred by Rupinder but avoid marriage.

Police Action

A murder case has been registered against both accused. Sonu is currently in custody, while Grewal, who is in the UK, has been named the prime conspirator. Authorities have initiated the process to seek international cooperation for his extradition.

“The accused killed the NRI woman at the behest of Charanjit Singh Grewal, who offered him money and promises of a new life abroad. We have recovered partial remains of the victim for forensic analysis,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Rupinder Singh.

The chilling murder has shocked Ludhiana’s outskirts, where Rupinder had gone seeking companionship in her later years — only to fall victim to betrayal and a grisly death.