A 71-year-old US woman of Indian origin was allegedly killed in Punjab, India, shortly after arriving from Seattle to marry a 75-year-old UK-based NRI. Rupinder Kaur Pandher traveled to India at the invitation of Charanjit Singh Grewal, originally from Ludhiana, who was to be her groom.

The incident occurred in July, but came to light recently after Ludhiana Police lodged an FIR concerning Pandher's disappearance. According to the police, Grewal allegedly orchestrated the murder.

Pandher's sister, Kamal Kaur Khairah, grew suspicious when she couldn't reach her on July 24. By July 28, Khairah had contacted the US Embassy in New Delhi, which then urged local police to investigate. The family received news of Pandher's death last week.

Police arrested Sukhjeet Singh Sonu of Malha Patti for the murder. Sonu allegedly confessed to killing Pandher at his home and burning her body in a storeroom. He admitted to destroying evidence by burning the body with diesel and disposing of the remains in a drain near Lehra village. Partial skeletal remains were recovered and sent for forensic testing.

According to the police, Sonu acted on Grewal's instructions, who promised him Rs 5 million (50 lakh) for the crime. The motive appears to be financial, as Pandher had reportedly transferred large sums of money to Grewal and his brother prior to her visit.

Deputy Inspector General Satinder Singh stated that Grewal is a suspect and is currently absconding. Police are investigating the case and searching for Grewal.

In August, Sukhjit Singh filed a missing person report for Pandher, claiming she had given him power of attorney to handle her legal cases about six months prior. He stated that she stayed at his house for about 10 days before leaving for Delhi on July 18, supposedly to fly to Canada for a wedding, and that he hadn't been able to contact her since.

The Deputy Commissioner stated that investigations revealed that Pandher had a prior relationship with Grewal, who initially wanted to marry her. However, police sources indicate that Grewal may have backed out of the marriage because Pandher allegedly threatened to implicate him in a case if he refused, though the motive is still under investigation.