A pregnant influencer has died nearly two months after she was allegedly kidnapped, brutally assaulted, tied to a tree and set on fire. Manjit Kaur, 28, died from her injuries on August 26 after weeks in hospital following the alleged attack.
A postmortem examination has since revealed that Kaur was around seven weeks pregnant when she died.
Alleged kidnapping and attack
Her mother, Kanta Devi, told police that two acquaintances, named in the report as Shubhi and Pinda, allegedly called Kaur to meet them on the night of July 3, as reported by NeedToKnow.
The pair allegedly forced her into a vehicle before taking her to a forested area. There, they allegedly assaulted Kaur, tied her to a tree, and set her on fire.
A friend who later arrived at the scene reportedly found Kaur engulfed in flames and used a blanket to put out the fire.
Hospital treatment and death
She was rushed to hospital, suffering severe burns and remained under treatment for almost two months. Kaur reportedly regained consciousness during her treatment and wanted to give a statement about what had happened.
But police sources said her statement was never recorded. She died on August 26, with police subsequently registering a case of kidnapping and murder following her mother's complaint.
Investigation and background
The alleged attack happened in the Indian state of Punjab, with Kaur reportedly taken from Chandigarh to an area near Morinda. Police are now attempting to piece together what happened and identify the vehicle allegedly used to abduct her.
Investigators are examining CCTV footage and other evidence from the route, although crucial footage may already have been overwritten because of the time that has passed. The motive behind the alleged attack has not yet been established.
Kaur's autopsy was conducted at PGIMER in Chandigarh two days after her death and revealed the pregnancy. The discovery has added another disturbing dimension to the case, with reports stating she was approximately seven weeks pregnant when she died.
Kaur had built a substantial online following, reportedly attracting around 146,000 Instagram followers where she shared reels, promotional content and lifestyle videos. She also had a YouTube channel featuring family vlogs. According to reports, Kaur was divorced and leaves behind a seven-year-old son.
The two suspects named in the FIR are currently being sought by police.
