Police have made a key arrest in the murder investigation of Punjabi influencer Manjeet Kaur, taking into custody a 25-year-old man accused of being associated with the case’s main suspect.
Chandigarh Sector-34 police arrested Parminder Singh, also known as Pinda, an alleged associate of the main accused, identified as Rinku. Investigators also recovered a Toyota Fortuner from the Sector-48 Motor Market that was allegedly used in Kaur’s kidnapping.
Parminder, a resident of Khanowal village in Punjab’s Kapurthala district, reportedly operated an immigration business in Kharar. Police allege that shortly before the incident he began working as a driver for Rinku, who was also his friend.
Investigators allege Parminder was with Rinku when Kaur was called to Sector 34 and subsequently abducted. Police have obtained his remand and are questioning him to determine his precise role in the alleged crime, investigate any wider conspiracy and gather information about Rinku’s whereabouts.
According to a statement provided by Kaur’s mother, Kanta Devi, her daughter was called to Sector 34 by Rinku and Parminder during the night of July 3 and 4.
The two men allegedly assaulted Kaur before abducting her in a vehicle. Investigators allege she was then taken to a forested area near Morinda, tied to a tree and set on fire before the attackers fled.
A person who reportedly knew Kaur later reached the location and extinguished the flames using a blanket. Kaur was taken to a hospital in Morinda in critical condition before being transferred to PGIMER in Chandigarh.
She was subsequently moved to Max Hospital in Mohali, where she underwent treatment for several days, before being referred back to PGIMER. She later died from her injuries.
With Parminder now in custody, investigators are working to reconstruct the sequence of events surrounding the alleged kidnapping and fatal attack.
Police are also trying to determine where Rinku went following the incident. Multiple raids have been conducted as authorities continue efforts to locate and arrest the main accused.
