Punjabi influencer Manjeet Kaur was seven weeks pregnant, autopsy finds
Punjabi social media influencer Manjeet Kaur was about seven weeks pregnant when she died from severe burn injuries after an alleged abduction and attack in Punjab, according to her autopsy report.
Kaur, 28, died at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh on August 26, about 54 days after she was allegedly abducted from the city and taken to a forested area near Morinda.
According to police and reports cited by Indian media, Kaur was allegedly assaulted, tied to a tree and set on fire. She suffered extensive burns and remained in hospital for nearly two months before her death.
The autopsy established that she had been pregnant at the time of the attack.
Police investigate alleged abduction and killing
Chandigarh Police registered a case of abduction and murder after Kaur’s mother, Kanta Devi, approached authorities following her daughter’s death.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack and are conducting efforts to locate the suspects. NDTV reported that authorities were carrying out raids to trace and arrest two accused people.
The case began after Kaur was allegedly taken from Chandigarh and transported to an area near Morinda. A friend reportedly rescued her after she was set on fire and she was subsequently taken for medical treatment.
Kaur later received treatment at PGIMER in Chandigarh, where she remained for 54 days before succumbing to her injuries.
Questions over police response
Kaur’s death has also prompted scrutiny of the authorities’ handling of the case before her death.
Reports said she had been conscious at points during her hospitalisation and had expressed a willingness to provide a statement. However, police did not record it before she died, according to reports.
Her family has questioned why her statement was not taken and why the investigation did not progress more quickly. The circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction, the identities and number of people involved and the motive remain subjects of the investigation.
