ISLAMABAD: A 28-year-old social media influencer died at a government hospital seven weeks after she was allegedly abducted, tied to a tree, and set on fire by two acquaintances in the northern Indian state of Punjab.
According to the Times of India, local authorities say that Manjeet Kaur died on Aug 26 while hospitalized after suffering severe burn injuries. An autopsy revealed that she was seven weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
According to a complaint filed by her mother, Kaur was lured to meet two acquaintances, Shubhi and Pinda, in Chandigarh's administrative district on July 3, as reported by The Hindu.
The complainant said they forced Kaur into a vehicle and drove her approximately 40 kilometers to Morinda, a town in Punjab's Rupnagar district.
There, the complaint alleges, they assaulted her, tied her to a tree and set her on fire. An acquaintance reportedly reached the scene and extinguished the flames using a blanket before Kaur was transported to a hospital in Morinda, the Times of India reported.
She was subsequently transferred to a private facility in Mohali, a neighboring city, before being referred to the government hospital on July 9 due to the severity of her burn injuries.
The Punjabi influencer remained unconscious for several weeks. As per The Hindu, she regained consciousness on Aug 5 and briefly described the incident to her family. Her condition deteriorated afterward.
According to her mother's account reported by NDTV, Manjeet Kaur wanted to provide a formal statement to police while conscious. The hospital's police liaison office informed local authorities that she was in a condition to give a statement.
The Times of India reported that the investigating officer did not arrive at the hospital. Police subsequently denied allegations of negligence, saying that the alleged abduction occurred outside their jurisdiction and that they provided assistance to the family.
A criminal case was registered on Aug 27 under India's Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita penal code, with charges including kidnapping, murder and joint criminal liability. Shubhi and Pinda remain accused in the case.
Chandigarh Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurjeet Kaur stated that the investigation was underway with efforts focused on tracing the assailants. Police are examining CCTV footage and other evidence while working to establish circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping, as per NDTV.
The local police state that the motive behind the alleged attack has not yet been established.
Manjeet Kaur had approximately 146,000 Instagram followers and posted videos featuring regional Punjabi and Haryanvi songs, according to the Times of India. She also maintained a YouTube channel with roughly 3,930 subscribers featuring family content.
She was divorced and is survived by a seven-year-old son.