7 weeks pregnant burned alive: What happened to influencer Manjeet Kaur?

Punjabi social media influencer Manjeet Kaur, 28, was nearly seven weeks pregnant when she died at PGIMER Chandigarh on August 26, nearly two months after she was allegedly abducted from Chandigarh, taken to Morinda, tied to a tree and set on fire. Her death has also raised questions over the alleged delay in recording her statement while she was conscious.

Who was Manjeet Kaur?

Manjeet Kaur, 28, was a Punjabi social media influencer from the Chandigarh-Kharar region. She had built a significant online following, with around 1.46 lakh followers on Instagram and nearly 4,000 YouTube subscribers. Her content included short videos, reels featuring Punjabi and Haryanvi songs, lifestyle content and promotional posts for cosmetic products.

Kaur was divorced and had a seven-year-old son, who lived with her former husband, according to police.

Her death followed weeks of treatment for severe burn injuries allegedly suffered in an attack in Morinda.

What happened to Manjeet Kaur?

According to a complaint filed by her mother, Kanta Devi, Kaur was allegedly called to Sector 34 in Chandigarh by two acquaintances, identified in the FIR as Shubhi and Pinda, on the intervening night of July 3 and 4.

The complaint alleges that the two assaulted Kaur and forcibly pushed her into a vehicle before taking her to a forested area near Morinda.

There, she was allegedly tied to a tree and set on fire.

A friend who reached the location reportedly found Kaur engulfed in flames and used a blanket to extinguish the fire. She was then taken to a hospital in Morinda.

Kaur was subsequently moved to a private hospital in Mohali before being admitted to PGIMER Chandigarh on July 9, where she remained under treatment.

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Manjeet Kaur was nearly seven weeks pregnant

A major new detail emerged from the investigation following Kaur's death.

According to her autopsy report, Kaur was nearly seven weeks pregnant when she died on August 26.

Her mother has alleged that a man identified as Rinku did not want to marry Kaur and had pressured her to terminate the pregnancy. These are allegations made by the family and form part of the police investigation; they have not been established as facts.

Police are expected to question Rinku as investigators examine whether the pregnancy and alleged pressure over it had any connection with the attack.

The family has also named Neha, a resident of Amritsar, in its allegations. Reports say Neha has denied knowing why Kaur's mother named her. Police may question her as part of the investigation.

She regained consciousness but her statement was allegedly not recorded

One of the most serious questions surrounding the case concerns Kaur's statement.

According to reports, Kaur briefly regained consciousness on August 5 during her treatment at PGIMER. She reportedly wanted to record her statement about what had happened to her.

Sources cited in reports said the PGIMER police post informed Kharar Sadar police that Kaur was conscious and in a condition to provide a statement. The investigating officer was also reportedly informed.

However, the officer allegedly did not reach the hospital to record her statement.

A daily diary report was reportedly entered at the PGIMER police post regarding the communication.

The allegation has become a major focus of scrutiny because Kaur's own account could potentially have provided investigators with direct information about the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and attack. Her statement, however, was not recorded before her death.

When did Manjeet Kaur die?

Kaur died at PGIMER on August 26, after battling severe burn injuries for nearly two months. She had been receiving treatment at the institute since July 9.

Following her death, the PGIMER police post informed Kharar Sadar police.

Kaur's mother subsequently approached the police, and her statement was recorded. A case of kidnapping and murder was then registered.

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Who are the accused?

The FIR names Shubhi and Pinda as suspects. They were booked in connection with allegations of kidnapping and murder following Kanta Devi's complaint.

Police teams are now trying to trace and arrest the two suspects. Investigators are also examining the role of other people who may have been connected to Kaur or the events surrounding the attack.

Police are reportedly examining call records, CCTV footage and other evidence to reconstruct the sequence from Chandigarh to Morinda and establish who was involved.

At this stage, the allegations against the named suspects remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.

What is the alleged motive?

The exact motive for the alleged attack has not been established, according to police.

Kaur's mother has alleged that Rinku pressured her daughter to abort her pregnancy because he did not want to marry her. Police are expected to examine this allegation alongside other possible motives.

The alleged involvement of Shubhi, Pinda and others, the circumstances of the journey from Chandigarh to Morinda and the reason for the attack remain under investigation.

Police probe and unanswered questions

The case has raised several questions about both the alleged attack and the subsequent handling of the investigation.

Key issues include:

• Why was Kaur allegedly called to Sector 34 before being taken to Morinda?
• What was the precise sequence of events between her disappearance from Chandigarh and the alleged attack?
• Who else, if anyone, was involved?
• What was the motive behind the alleged attack?
• Did the pregnancy have any connection with the crime?
• Why was Kaur's statement allegedly not recorded after she regained consciousness?
• When and how did different police units receive information about the incident and her medical condition?

Police are examining CCTV footage along the route, call details and statements from people known to Kaur to establish the circumstances of the case.

Family seeks answers after influencer's death

Kaur's death has intensified scrutiny of the investigation, particularly because she reportedly regained consciousness weeks before her death and allegedly wanted to tell police what had happened.

The case now involves two parallel questions: what led to the alleged abduction and attack, and whether the authorities acted promptly enough after Kaur was in a condition to potentially provide information.

The investigation is continuing, with police attempting to locate the named suspects and establish the roles of other people mentioned by the family.

Detailed timeline

• July 3-4: According to Kanta Devi's complaint, Kaur was allegedly called to Sector 34 in Chandigarh by Shubhi and Pinda before being forcibly taken to Morinda.
• Early July: Kaur was allegedly assaulted, tied to a tree and set on fire in a forested area near Morinda. A friend reportedly extinguished the flames and took her to a hospital.
• July 9: Kaur was admitted to PGIMER Chandigarh for treatment of severe burn injuries.
• August 5: Kaur reportedly regained consciousness and wanted to record her statement. The PGIMER police post allegedly informed Kharar Sadar police and the investigating officer.
• August 26: Kaur died at PGIMER during treatment.
• After August 26: Following her mother's complaint, Chandigarh Police registered a kidnapping and murder case against Shubhi and Pinda and began efforts to trace them.
• August 30: The autopsy report revealed that Kaur was nearly seven weeks pregnant at the time of her death.

Analysis

The Manjeet Kaur case has become significant not only because of the alleged brutality of the attack but also because of the questions surrounding the investigation.

The pregnancy detail has introduced a new possible line of inquiry, particularly following her mother's allegations concerning pressure to terminate the pregnancy. However, police have not established that this was the motive for the alleged attack.

The alleged failure to record Kaur's statement after she regained consciousness is another key issue. If investigators confirm that she was medically capable of giving a statement and that police were informed in time, determining why the statement was not recorded could be important to the investigation.

For now, the central allegations remain under investigation. Police are seeking the named suspects, examining digital and CCTV evidence and trying to reconstruct the events that preceded the attack and Kaur's subsequent death.