Tied to tree, burnt alive: In Manjit Kaur case, 7-week pregnancy adds new twist

Nearly two months after Punjabi social media influencer Manjit Kaur was allegedly abducted, taken towards a forested area near Morinda, tied to a tree and set on fire, police are now staring at a case with more questions than answers.

The CCTV trail has largely gone cold. The vehicle remains unidentified. And the most important witness, who was also the victim, is no longer alive. In addition to this, a postmortem finding has introduced a new question into an already baffling case.

According to police, the autopsy report of Kaur revealed that she was around seven weeks pregnant when she died. 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.

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.