Punjabi influencer dies after two-month battle following brutal attack

Manjit Kaur, a social media influencer who was allegedly tied to a tree and set on fire in a forest area in Morinda, Punjab, has died. She passed away at PGI Meer in Chandigarh on August 26 after nearly two months of treatment for severe burns. Following her death, Chandigarh police filed a kidnapping and murder case against two acquaintances based on a complaint by her mother.

According to police and the family, on the night of July 3, Manjit was called to the Sector 34 area of Chandigarh by her acquaintances Shubhi and Pinda. After she arrived, she was forcibly put into a car and taken to a secluded forest area near Morinda, Punjab, where she was beaten. She was then tied to a tree and set on fire, after which the two fled, the victim's mother Kanta Devi alleged.

Manjit, who was critically burnt, was later spotted by an acquaintance. After he extinguished the fire with a blanket, he took her to a hospital in Morinda. As her condition deteriorated, she was transferred to Max Hospital in Mohali and later admitted to PGI Meer in Chandigarh on July 9. Police and family said she regained consciousness on August 5 after being unconscious for several weeks.

Manjit's family alleged that after regaining consciousness, she wanted to give her statement to the police. The police post at PGI Meer had also informed the Kharar police station, they claimed. However, the investigating officer did not record her statement at the hospital, raising questions over whether crucial information was lost at the time.

Following Manjit's death, her mother filed a complaint, and a kidnapping and murder case was registered at Sector 34 police station in Chandigarh under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Police are conducting raids to arrest the accused, Shubhi and Pinda, and are collecting CCTV footage from Sector 34 to Morinda to trace the sequence of events and the movements of the accused.

Meanwhile, Punjab police have denied allegations of negligence in recording Manjit's statement. They maintained that since the kidnapping occurred within Chandigarh's jurisdiction, primary action was the responsibility of Chandigarh police. However, Kharar police assisted the family and helped them file the case. Police also said they would investigate why the opportunity to record Manjit's statement during her treatment was not utilised.