Abducted, Burnt, Ignored: Pregnant Punjabi Influencer Dies After 54-Day Hospital Ordeal

Punjabi social media creator Manjeet Kaur has died at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, 54 days after she was allegedly abducted, tied to a tree, and set ablaze. Autopsy details confirmed that the 28-year-old was seven weeks pregnant at the time of her death.

The police registered a case of kidnapping and murder following the death on August 26, but the handling of the investigation has drawn sharp criticism from the victim's family.

Abduction and Horrific Assault in Forest

According to a complaint lodged by her mother, Kanta Devi, Kaur was summoned to Sector 34 in Chandigarh on the night of July 3 by two acquaintances, identified as Shubhi and Pinda. The men reportedly assaulted her before forcing her into a car and driving her to a forested patch near Morinda.

Once there, the assailants allegedly tied Kaur to a mulberry tree, doused her in flammable liquid, and set her alight before fleeing the scene. An acquaintance tracked her down and managed to douse the flames using a blanket. Kaur was initially rushed to a local hospital in Morinda, moved to a private facility in Mohali, and finally admitted to PGIMER on July 9.

Unanswered Calls for Statement Recording

Questions are being raised over procedural lapses by local authorities while Kaur was undergoing treatment. The victim regained consciousness at PGIMER on August 5 and explicitly requested to have her statement recorded.

Despite the hospital police post issuing formal communications and making a daily diary record for the Kharar Sadar police station, the designated investigating officer failed to arrive at the hospital to document her dying declaration. The failure to record her statement over three weeks leaves key questions open regarding the motives and exact sequence of events.

Coercion Allegations and Police Probe

Kanta Devi alleged that a man named Rinku had been pressuring Kaur to terminate her pregnancy after refusing to marry her. The family also cited the involvement of an Amritsar resident, Neha, though police state her role remains under verification.

Chandigarh Police have launched a manhunt for the absconding suspects, Shubhi and Pinda. Sector-34 Station House Officer Inspector Shadi Lal confirmed that teams are currently scanning closed-circuit television camera feeds across the transit route between Chandigarh and Morinda alongside call detail records to establish the timeline.