‘Tied to a tree, set on fire’: Punjabi influencer dies weeks after assault

Punjabi influencer Manjit Kaur died at a Chandigarh hospital on August 26, weeks after being allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and set on fire. Her family accused two acquaintances, Shubhi and Pinda, of kidnapping her, and the police of not recording her statement promptly. Kaur's mother, Kanta Devi, claimed that on July 3, the two men called her near a Chandigarh liquor shop, took her to Morinda in Punjab, and subjected her to the horrific assault.

Devi stated that Kaur's friend discovered her engulfed in flames at the scene and extinguished the flames before taking her to a hospital in Morinda. Kaur was eventually transferred to Max Hospital in Mohali and then to PGIMER, Chandigarh, for treatment. She regained consciousness on August 5 after nearly a month of medical care.

Devi accused Mohali police of negligence, alleging that Kaur wanted to give a statement to them but they failed to arrive at the hospital in time. The investigating officer, Assistant Sub-Inspector Lakhwinder Singh, was also accused of not reaching PGIMER quickly enough. Kaur's family argued that recording her statement could have provided crucial leads.

The daily diary record of the incident was reportedly entered at the PGI police post. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ishan Singla denied the allegations, stating that the police cooperated fully with the family. The Chandigarh Police registered a case of kidnapping and murder, and are now seeking the accused. They are also examining CCTV footage and other evidence from the Sector 34 to Morinda area to establish the events' sequence.