Punjabi social media figure, 28, succumbs to burn injuries nearly two months after attack; suspects remain at large as police investigate.
Manjeet Kaur, a 28-year-old Punjabi social media influencer with more than 146,000 Instagram followers, died on August 26 at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh after enduring severe burn injuries for 54 days.
According to a complaint filed by her mother, Kanta Devi, Kaur was allegedly abducted from Chandigarh’s Sector 34 on the intervening night of July 3 and 4, taken to a forested area near Morinda in Punjab, tied to a tree and set on fire.
An FIR for kidnapping and murder was registered on August 27 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after her death. Two acquaintances named in the complaint, identified as Shubhi and Pinda, are being sought by police and remain absconding.
Woman Dies Weeks After Alleged Burning Attack:
Kanta Devi told police that the two acquaintances called her daughter to a location near a liquor shop in Sector 34. They allegedly assaulted her, forced her into a vehicle and drove her to the forested site near Morinda. There, according to the complaint, they tied her to a tree-described in some accounts as a mulberry tree-and set her alight before fleeing.
Another acquaintance later reached the scene, extinguished the flames with a blanket and took Kaur to a hospital in Morinda. She was subsequently shifted to Max Hospital in Mohali and then admitted to PGIMER on July 9 for specialised treatment of extensive burns.
Kaur remained under treatment for nearly two months. Family members said she briefly regained consciousness around August 5 and expressed a wish to record a statement with police. The family has alleged delays in that process; police have stated they cooperated with the family. She died of her injuries on August 26.
An autopsy conducted after her death revealed that Kaur was approximately seven weeks pregnant. She was a divorcee and is survived by a seven-year-old son who lives with her former husband.
Police Probe Ongoing Into Kaur’s Death:
Kaur, who hailed from the Kharar area, had built a following through short-form video content. Her Instagram account featured reels promoting cosmetic products and videos set to popular Punjabi and Haryanvi songs. She also maintained a YouTube channel with roughly 3,900 subscribers where she posted family vlogs and lifestyle material.
Her online presence centred on accessible, everyday content that resonated with regional audiences.
Chandigarh Police have registered the case and are examining CCTV footage along the route from Sector 34 to Morinda, questioning people known to the victim and gathering other evidence. The motive for the alleged attack has not been publicly established. Some reports have noted claims of a prior personal relationship involving one of the named suspects, but investigators have not confirmed details.
As of the latest available reports in late August, neither of the two accused had been arrested. The case has drawn scrutiny over the timeline of the police response during Kaur’s hospitalisation and the circumstances that allowed the suspects to remain at large for nearly two months after the attack.
Police officials have said the investigation is ongoing and that efforts continue to trace those named in the FIR. The killing has prompted local discussion about violence against women and the challenges of investigating crimes that cross administrative boundaries between Chandigarh and Punjab.