British-Indian accused of orchestrating murder of 71-year-old Indian-American woman in Ludhiana

Highlights:

• Charanjit Singh Grewal allegedly promised $60,000 and foreign settlement to accomplice Sukhjeet Singh for the murder.
• Pandher was killed on July 12, shortly after arriving in Ludhiana at Grewal’s request.
• Singh allegedly burned the body, dumped the remains in a drain, and renovated his house to hide evidence.
• A false missing-person complaint was filed to mislead police; the case was reopened after the victim’s sister alerted the US Embassy.
• Grewal remains absconding in the UK; Punjab Police is coordinating with international agencies for extradition.

A 71-year-old Indian American woman, Rupinder Kaur Pandher, was brutally murdered in Ludhiana after being lured from Seattle by a UK-based Non-Resident Indian (NRI) whom she believed she would marry. Police investigations have revealed that the killing was carried out on the orders of Charanjit Singh Grewal, an NRI from Ludhiana based in England, who allegedly offered $60,000 and the promise of foreign settlement to his associate in exchange for the crime.

Despite losing interest, murderer persuaded her

Pandher, who had earlier been married twice, came into contact with Grewal through a matrimonial website. Despite developing a long-distance relationship, Grewal reportedly lost interest in marrying her. However, he continued to manipulate Pandher, persuading her to transfer her power of attorney to his associate, Sukhjeet Singh, a typist at the Ludhiana court, under the pretext of helping her with ongoing property disputes.

Pandher arrived in Ludhiana in July 2025 at Grewal’s request and began living at Singh’s residence. On July 12, Singh allegedly bludgeoned her to death with a baseball bat. To conceal the crime, police say he burned her body using coal, packed the remains into gunny sacks, and disposed of them in a drain. Investigators have since recovered parts of her skeletal remains, burnt body fragments, and her broken iPhone, which Singh had destroyed with a hammer.

To cover his tracks, Singh allegedly painted his house and replaced tiles soon after the murder. He also filed a false missing-person complaint in August, claiming that Pandher had left for Canada to attend a wedding. This attempt to mislead authorities initially delayed the investigation.

Crime unrevealed after lack of contact

The crime came to light after Pandher’s sister, Kamal Kaur Khairah, raised concerns when she was unable to reach her sister after July 24. She alerted the US Embassy in New Delhi, which pressured Ludhiana Police to investigate further. As a result, Singh was taken into custody, where he confessed to the murder and disposal of evidence.

Meanwhile, Grewal remains in hiding in the UK. Punjab Police have initiated coordination with international agencies for his extradition, though no formal process has been completed yet. Officials say greed was the central motive, with documented financial transactions between Pandher and Grewal pointing to exploitation under the guise of marriage and legal assistance.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rupinder Singh confirmed that forensic teams are working to recover additional skeletal remains and analyze financial records to strengthen the case.