NRI woman’s murder in Ludhiana: Victim burnt with coal, fake Aadhaar made before crime
PTC Web Desk: In a shocking twist to the murder case of an American NRI woman in Ludhiana, police investigations have revealed that her killers secretly obtained an Aadhaar card in her name before the crime. The victim, identified as 72-year-old Rupinder Kaur from Seattle, was found dead two months ago, her skeletal remains recovered from a drain near Ghungrana village.
According the to police, the murder was orchestrated by her UK-based fiancé, 75-year-old Charanjit Singh Grewal, who allegedly hired Ludhiana resident and court typist, Sukhjeet Singh, to kill her in exchange for Rs 50 lakh. Grewal, originally from Mehma village, had met Rupinder through a matrimonial website and lured her to India under the pretext of marriage.
Investigators revealed that an Aadhaar card was fraudulently made in Rupinder’s name on March 3, 2025, showing her address as “Rupinder Kaur Pandher, C/o Harbhajan Singh Grewal, House No. 4465, Shimlapuri”. However, her sister, Kamaljeet Kaur, stated that the address was fake and that all of Rupinder’s documents and financial transactions were based on her US passport, which listed her Seattle address.
The police confirmed that a special investigation team, led by Dehlon SHO, has been formed to probe the Aadhaar fraud and the reasons behind it. The police are also tracing financial transfers from Rupinder’s accounts to those of Sukhjeet and his brother, examining whether they violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
How the murder took place
October 2024: Rupinder first travelled to India to meet Sukhjeet.
May 2025: She returned to the US.
June 1, 2025: Rupinder came back to Punjab and met Charanjit’s acquaintances.
During this period, she transferred Rs 30–Rs 35 lakh to the accused.
However, after securing the money, Charanjit allegedly began avoiding marriage and instead conspired to eliminate her. Acting on his instructions, Sukhjeet killed Rupinder between July 12–15, 2025.
The police revealed that Sukhjeet struck Rupinder Kaur with a baseball bat at his home, killing her on the spot. He then kept the body in a room for two days, attempting to burn it with coal. Once the skin was charred, he stuffed the skeletal remains into a sack and dumped them in a drain. To erase evidence, he repainted and renovated the room, even replacing tiles.
At the time of the murder, Sukhjeet’s brother and sister-in-law were out of town. Upon returning, they were surprised to see renovations done in only one room, which later drew police suspicion.
Cover-up and arrest
After the crime, Sukhjeet tried to mislead the police by filing a false missing person complaint for Rupinder on July 18. Later, on July 28, her sister Kamaljeet also lodged a missing report. By early August, the police recovered a body from the drain, which was confirmed to be Rupinder’s. Sukhjeet was arrested on August 3, during which he confessed to the murder.
The police also found that Charanjit and Sukhjeet first met in 2014 during campaigning for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Later, Charanjit sought Sukhjeet’s help in property disputes involving Rupinder. She often stayed at Sukhjeet’s home during her visits to Ludhiana and even handed him her power of attorney. This trust, the police believe, enabled Sukhjeet to trap her on Charanjit’s instructions.
- PTC NEWS
