71-year-old US citizen who came to Punjab to marry NRI man killed: Police

Ludhiana: A 71-year-old woman, a US citizen of Indian origin, was allegedly killed shortly after she arrived here from Seattle to marry a 75-year-old UK-based NRI man, police said on Wednesday.

The incident, which took place in July, came to light recently, after the Ludhiana Police named suspects in an FIR that was lodged over the woman's disappearance.

Rupinder Kaur Pandher had travelled to India at the invitation of Charanjit Singh Grewal, an England-based non-residential Indian (NRI) originally from Ludhiana, who was to be her bridegroom, police said.

It was Grewal who allegedly got her killed, they added.

Police said Pandher's sister, Kamal Kaur Khairah, grew suspicious when she found her mobile phone switched off on July 24.

By July 28, Khairah had alerted the US embassy in New Delhi, which in turn pressed the local police to take up the matter.

It was only last week that the Khairah family received the news of her death.

Police nabbed Sukhjeet Singh Sonu of Malha Patti for the killing of the US citizen.

According to police, Sonu allegedly admitted to killing Pandher in his house and burning the body in a storeroom.

Police said Sonu acted on the instructions of Grewal, who allegedly promised him Rs 50 lakh for killing Pandher.

The motive, officers said, was financial -- Pandher had transferred a significant amount of money to Grewal prior to her visit.

Deputy Inspector General (Ludhiana Police Range) Satinder Singh confirmed that Grewal, who is absconding, has been named as a suspect in the case.

Police said efforts are on to find the victim's skeletal remains and other evidence based on Sonu's disclosure.