2 months after Manjit Kaur was burned alive, cops find out she was pregnant

Kaur, who had suffered severe burn injuries in the alleged attack early in July, succumbed to sepsis (an infection) at PGIMER, Chandigarh, on August 26.

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The PGI records initially attributed Kaur’s injury as 40 to 45 per cent burns sustained in an LPG cylinder leak, a PGI spokesperson told The Indian Express.

The victim was referred to PGIMER after initial treatment at a private hospital, and received intensive care and specialised treatment in the Burns ICU.

Despite all efforts, she developed complications affecting vital organs, the spokesperson said. She required mechanical ventilation and advanced critical care, but her condition continued to deteriorate.

The case has finally been registered at Sector 34 police station in Chandigarh, and the Chandigarh Police has taken over the investigation, but the Station House Officer (SHO) admits they are having to work backwards through a trail that is nearly two months old.

Inspector Shadi Lal, SHO, Sector 34 Police Station, said, “The biggest challenge before us is that this is a two-month-old case. By the time we started looking for CCTV footage now, crucial recordings had already been overwritten. Toll plazas generally retain footage for only around 15 days.”

The missing vehicle has emerged as one of the first major puzzles for police that kept contesting the jurisdictional issue. Chandigarh police said they are yet to establish which vehicle was allegedly used by the acquaintances who took Kaur away. Police have also been trying to reconstruct the route from Chandigarh towards Morinda.

The SHO said, “We are checking whatever CCTV footage is available. We have checked footage from shops and a petrol pump here in Sector 34 and near the route as well. But there is no clear clue about the vehicle or the accused. Even the mother is clueless. If we knew the vehicle, it would have been easier.”

Police sources said, “At present, we do not have any concrete clue and only the mobile phone can help.”

Police are also expected to examine whether digital evidence can help bridge the gaps created by the loss of physical evidence such as CCTV footage.

The postmortem findings have changed the questions. The autopsy has added perhaps the most startling dimension yet.

The reports suggested that Kaur was approximately seven weeks pregnant. She was pregnant at the time of the alleged assault, and during the period she remained under treatment at PGIMER.

For police, the case therefore goes beyond identifying who allegedly took her away and in which vehicle.

The involvement of Chandigarh-Punjab boundaries has resulted in what sources describe as weeks of back-and-forth between the two police forces.

However, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Mohali, Harmandeep Singh Hans told The Indian Express that the abduction took place in Sector 34, and the case fell under the Chandigarh police’s jurisdiction.

One of the most troubling questions being raised is why Kaur’s statement was not recorded when she was reportedly in a position to speak.

Sources from the Chandigarh Police said that after regaining consciousness at PGIMER, Kaur had wanted to give her statement. Following this, the institute reportedly informed Kharar Police, but no personnel arrived at the PGI, the sources said.

With Kaur subsequently dying on August 26, the opportunity to obtain her direct account of what happened has been lost.

Following her death, police have recorded the statement of her mother, Kanta Devi, and begun examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and attack.

Behind the investigation is a family now left with more questions than answers. The family is now dependent largely on the police investigation to reconstruct what happened to her during the final weeks of her life.

Kaur was divorced and had a seven-year-old son, who lives with his father.

Apart from her mother, Kaur’s 11-year-old brother is reportedly the only other immediate family member.

Investigators are examining witness accounts, digital evidence, available CCTV footage and Kaur’s communications to establish her movements and identify people who may have been in contact with her when she was called.

Kaur’s online life has also come under scrutiny.

Police sources said that they learnt of an apparent argument or feud involving social media interactions. Police are now examining whether the dispute had any connection with the alleged attack.

One of the Chandigarh Police officers said, “The cyber cell will be looking into her online interactions, conversations and other digital footprints to identify people with whom she may have had disputes or who were in contact with her around the time of the alleged incident.”

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav has sought a senior-level inquiry into the entire matter.

Yadav told The Indian Express that he has asked the SSP to have the matter looked into at a senior level.

The intervention comes even as the case has now been registered in Chandigarh and the Chandigarh Police has taken over the investigation.

Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said, “This case has come to us after one-and-a-half months. Either the victim knew about the vehicle, or the accused does—there is no one else. We are trying to establish those links. The basic clue in the case, the vehicle, is missing.”