Social media influencer was strangled to death, says autopsy report
The report, prepared on June 12, mentioned that suspicious marks were found on her thighs but there was no proof of sexual assault. The viscera report is still awaited.
"The cause of death is asphyxia due to strangulation. Viscera samples are taken for chemical analysis and histopathological examination for any poison or drug overdose," said the autopsy report.
Kamal Kaur was killed in the early hours of June 10. The body — recovered from the parking lot of Adesh Medical University near Bathinda late on June 11 — was in an advanced stage of decomposition, said the report, mentioning bloating, peeling skin, and easily removable hair that suggested the time between her death and postmortem (4.30 pm on June 12) to be about two to five days.
Amritpal Singh Mehron, who claims to head radical organisation 'Kaum de Rakhe', along with his two accomplices, is accused of killing the influencer for allegedly posting bold and obscene content on social media in what police has described as a case of moral policing.
On June 9, the three allegedly brought Kamal Kaur from Ludhiana to Bathinda under the pretext of promoting a video about the sale of cars and repair of her Hyundai Eon.
She is believed to have been strangled after 2 am on June 10. Seven hours later, Mehron boarded a flight for the United Arab Emirates, while two of his accomplices were arrested. Later, police named two more suspects, including one Ranjit Singh from Tarn Taran district.
Lookout circulars have been issued against Mehron and Ranjit Singh.
After Kamal Kaur's killing, threats were issued to other social media influencers, including Deepika Luthra, Preet Jatti, and few others against posting "obscene content".
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The Wire
14-07-2025
- The Wire
The Rise of Sikh Orthodoxy and its Corrosive Influence on General Freedom of Thought in Punjab
Rajiv Thind The theocratic and political construction of Sikh history along with the rigid definition of Punjab's identity in narrowly Sikh and Punjabi-speaking terms, excludes and silences the region's most vulnerable communities. The Bathinda police briefing the media about the details of the murder of social media influencer Kamal Kaur alias Kanchan Tiwari. Photo: Videograb from In the Indian state of Punjab, a group of self-proclaimed defenders of the Sikh faith murdered social media content creator Kanchan Kumari (also known as Kamal Kaur) for posting videos they deemed vulgar and immoral. Kumari was reportedly strangled and left in a locked car. One of the accused, Amritpal Singh Mehron, released a video in which he proudly took responsibility for the killing, describing it as an act of 'moral purification' of Punjab. In the same video, he issued threats against others, including Deepika Luthra, who has since come forward expressing fear for her life. Prior to her death, Kumari had also received threats from a Canada-based Sikh gangster. In the aftermath, a Sikh woman lawyer publicly condemned Kumari, invoking the phrase Jaisi karni, vaisi bharni ('you get what you deserve'). In her videos, Kumari often spoke about sex and sexual acts. Mehron has since fled overseas and has been lionised on several Punjabi social media platforms. A YouTube channel conducted a sympathetic interview with him. Comments under the video are overwhelmingly supportive, with many praising the act and some offering prayers for the protection of Mehron and his accomplices. Many of the young women posting risqué content online come from marginalised socio-economic backgrounds and rely on this work for survival, with few alternative sources of income to support themselves and their families. While some of their content may veer into explicit territory – a grey area that social media platforms readily exploit – the regulation of such material is the responsibility of the state, not of vigilantes and criminals claiming to uphold religious or moral values. Mehron's hateful video, and the widespread support it has received, reveal a chilling rationalisation of murder. He and his supporters portray Kumari as an outsider – a non-Punjabi and a non-Sikh – accused of corrupting the cultural and religious purity of Punjab. Before assessing this bigoted rhetoric, it's important to place this tragedy within the broader context – examining how Sikh identity, extremism, and cultural policing are represented, and what is omitted from dominant narratives. The Western gaze and selective narratives In Western media and academic discourse, religious extremism in India is almost exclusively viewed through the lens of Hindutva – the majoritarian Hindu nationalist movement. Within this framework, all religious minorities – Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs – are cast primarily as victims of Hindu dominance. This narrative is further reinforced by segments of the Sikh diaspora in countries such as Canada, the UK and the US. Respected Sikh professionals and activists publish articles in major outlets like Time Magazine, with headlines such as ' Why India Is Targeting Sikhs at Home and Around the World, ' appealing to Western liberal ideals of minority rights and protection of the persecuted. Yet these voices remain conspicuously silent about violence perpetrated by Sikh extremists – both historical and ongoing – against dissenters and excluded communities. From the assassination of liberal Sikh journalist Tara Singh Hayer in 1998 in Canada (for opposing Khalistani terrorism), to murderous violence against Dalit Sikhs in Vienna in 2009 for challenging dominant-caste Sikh orthodoxy, a pattern emerges: internal critique of essentialist Sikh identity is ignored or suppressed brutally. Personal experience As I have written elsewhere, I grew up in Punjab during the turbulent 1980s and 90s. As per reports, at the height of militancy, state agents committed atrocities, but continued Sikh militant violence has also been devastating. I noticed and experienced the corrosive influence of Sikh orthodoxy on general freedom of thought and expression in Punjab. My issue is not with Sikhism itself – indeed, half my family comes from a Sikh background, and some of my dearest friends have been Sikhs. I hold deep respect for Guru Nanak's humane philosophy and historical Sikhism's inclusive ethos and egalitarianism. Instead, my concern lies with the rise of self-important Sikh orthodoxy (as analysed by Harjot Oberoi) and politicised Sikhism of the dominant-caste groups that glorify violence to project their power. Historical amnesia The dream of a Khalistani state is a dominant-caste fantasy of restoring a 'pure' Sikh kingdom. Yet, as the late Khushwant Singh – an atheist but culturally Sikh scholar and writer – reminds us, the Sikh aristocracy of the past was far from devout. The chiefs of Sikh misls (or militias) were more feudal than spiritual; they could be corrupt, their personal habits indulgent; one group, 'the Bhangis' were named after their 'founder's addiction to bhang (hashish)…' he writes in his monumental The Sikhs. Singh writes: 'As soon as the Sikhs settled down as landowners, property rights became hereditary and the disparity in wealth introduced an extraneous element in the choice of leadership.' When the Sikh confederacies eventually unified under Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century, his army and cabinet included large numbers of Muslims and Hindus. Punjab was – and remains – ethnically and religiously diverse. Ironically, modern Sikh attempts to purify Punjab on linguistic and religious lines have reduced it to a small state, with other regions going to the newly organised states like Haryana. The theocratic and political construction of Sikh history along with the rigid definition of Punjab's identity in narrowly Sikh and Punjabi-speaking terms, excludes and silences the region's most vulnerable communities. To cite one example, as suppressed Punjabi Dalits turn to Christianity for dignity, Sikh religious bodies express alarm. In this climate of hostility and control, a Christian pastor can be brazenly shot dead in public. Modern Sikh extremism and its soft targets An early instance of Sikh moral policing was the 1988 assassination of Amar Singh Chamkila, a wildly popular Dalit singer and musician, targeted for performing songs deemed vulgar. His murder set a precedent. In the years that followed, those punished for transgressing Sikh religious norms or Punjabi cultural values were almost always from marginalised socio-economic backgrounds. The 2024 biopic on Chamkila depicts how he was repeatedly hauled before Sikh religious courts to apologise. In one poignant scene, Chamkila quietly questions why he alone is being 'disciplined,' while other – usually upper-caste – musicians perform similar songs without repercussions. In contemporary Punjab and the Sikh diaspora in the West, Khalistani sympathisers often ignore pressing local issues – such as the systemic oppression of Dalits (who make up 32% of Punjab's population and are mostly landless), the struggles of women and the LGBTQ groups in a hyper-masculine culture, as well as the exploitation of migrant labourers from poor Hindi-speaking states. Meanwhile, Punjab has witnessed multiple incidents of lynching for alleged acts of blasphemy against the Sikh religion. The victims are almost always from poor, marginal backgrounds and receive little attention from mainstream media. One such killing drew widespread notice because it occurred at the holiest Sikh site, the Golden Temple. In another, a Dalit labourer was brutally hacked to death with swords over similar accusations. Migrant workers have been particularly vulnerable. These workers had arrived in Punjab during the agricultural boom of the 1970s and 1980s, many settling permanently and raising families. During the peak of Sikh militancy in the 1980s, these poor labourers – often Hindu, non-Punjabi, and from marginalised castes – could be killed to assert Sikh dominance. For example, in May 1990, over a dozen migrants were shot dead. A convenient morality What stands out in the current wave of moral policing is its selective nature. Young women like Kumari and Luthra – poor, vulnerable, Hindu, and lacking influential connections – are publicly threatened or even killed. In contrast, no such outrage is directed at wealthy or well-connected Punjabi celebrities who produce music and videos that glorify violence, upper-caste supremacy, sexism, or are overtly sexual. A few social media users have questioned why the self-appointed moral guardians remain silent about figures like Sunny Leone (born Karenjit Kaur Vohra), a Bollywood celebrity and former porn star of Sikh background. Leone's entry into Bollywood around 2012 arguably accelerated the mainstreaming and commercialisation of sexually explicit content in the entertainment industry, and influenced aspiring Indian female performers on social media platforms. Yet she remains largely shielded from belligerent critics because of wealth, influential connections, and a privileged caste status. In stark contrast, Mehron's video repeatedly dehumanises the murdered Kanchan Kumari, mocking her outsider and marginal status, using ethnic slurs like ' Bhaiya Rani [Bhaiya Princess] of UP and Bihar'. Bhayia is a derogatory term in Punjab commonly used to belittle Hindi-speaking migrant labourers, many of whom belong to marginalised Hindu castes or are socially disadvantaged. Kumari's surname was Tiwari, an upper class surname, and she ' grew up in Ludhiana's Lakshman Nagar, a congested neighbourhood of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar." By targeting convenient scapegoats, these moral policemen and their supporters are not defending the Sikh faith. Rather, they are exploiting religious sentiment for personal notoriety, commercial gain, political clout, and online attention. Mehron himself was a minor internet celebrity. This selective vigilantism seeks to consolidate power by controlling the bodies, voices, and identities of those least able to resist – individuals whose murder is unlikely to spark widespread outrage, attract global media scrutiny, or result in serious consequences for the perpetrators. Rajiv Thind holds a PhD in English from the University of Queensland. He is a writer, literary critic, and currently a visiting academic at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Hindustan Times
14-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Mehron's provisional arrest in UAE likely soon, say police officials
Religious vigilante Amritpal Singh Mehron, wanted in the murder of digital content creator Kanchan Kumari in Bathinda and currently hiding in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is likely to be subjected to a provisional arrest soon with the assistance of Interpol, police officials have said. Amritpal Singh Mehron has been hiding in the UAE since he allegedly murdered a social media influencer, Kanchan Kumari Official sources said Interpol, an international organisation which facilitates police cooperation among its 196 member countries, is inching towards executing the state police's request to detain Mehron in the Gulf country. Responding to queries of HT, the Interpol press office stated early this month that it could not share any input on its investigation as only the member country concerned could make any comment. Meanwhile, the sources, wishing not to be named, confirmed that the Bureau of Investigation (BoI) is working closely with the home ministry to extradite Mehron from the UAE. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal said on Sunday that the district police had filed a pro forma for a 'blue notice' on June 20 to track and extradite Mehron back to Punjab to face a trial in the murder of Kanchan. 'We are working on his extradition and sending the required information and details sought by the Interpol. But details cannot be made public at this stage,' she added. The SSP clarified that they have not been updated yet whether Interpol has issued a notice against Mehron. Officials said the location of Mehron in the UAE is still unclear and Interpol has a crucial role in tracing and putting him under detention. 'Extradition is a complex legal exercise and the state and central authorities are engaged in executing the detention of Mehron on foreign soil,' said the senior police official. As per the police, Kanchan Kumari, alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, of Ludhiana was strangulated by Mehron and his two Nihang accomplices, stating that the murder was motivated by Kanchan's controversial social media posts, which allegedly offended the Sikh community. The murder took place on the night of June 9-10 when Mehron, along with Jaspreet Singh and Nimratjit Singh, allegedly strangled Kanchan in her car. They later dumped her body in the parking lot of Adesh Medical College and Hospital in Bhucho, Bathinda. The victim's body was discovered on the evening of June 11, and the police termed the crime as unauthorised moral policing. Mehron fled to Amritsar shortly after the murder, boarding an international flight to the UAE on the morning of June 10. Jaspreet and Nimratjit are in judicial custody, whereas the three accused, including Mehron, are still at large. SSP Kondal said that immediately after the murder, Mehron was taken from Bathinda to the international airport in Amritsar by Ranjit Singh of Taran Tarn and an unidentified person. 'Our teams will resume raids to nab Ranjit and identify another accused. A lookout circular (LoC) has already been issued against Ranjit to ensure he does not flee the country,' said the SSP.
Hindustan Times
26-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Punjab influencer's murder: Two weeks on, whereabouts of 2 accused still unknown
(Blurb) Awaiting Interpol's notice for key accused Mehron's arrest and deportation from UAE: Bathinda SSP Key accused Amritpal Singh Mehron is said to have fled to UAE on June 10 Two weeks after the decomposed body of Ludhiana-based woman social media influencer Kanchan Kumari, alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, was found in Bathinda, the whereabouts of the two accused related to the case are still not known to the police. Investigators said on Wednesday that the main accused and conspirator of the alleged targeted killing, Amritpal Singh Mehron, a religious vigilante, fled the country on June 10 without wearing his Nihang attire. The Bathinda police have named five persons in the killing and assisting Mehron in fleeing the country after the crime. Investigators said that of the five accused, four were Nihangs but the identity of the fifth accused is still a mystery. The police have arrested Mehron's aides Jaspreet Singh and Nimratjit Singh, both Nihangs, while Mehron remains in hiding in the UAE. Another accused, Ranjit Singh, also a Nihang, from Tarn Taran, is also absconding, while the police is still clueless about his accomplice. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal said a probe confirmed that Mehron was not accompanied by Ranjit when the former flew out of the country. 'Travel data says that Mehron had a travel visa for the UAE and he boarded the flight from Amritsar, where he was not wearing his traditional Nihang attire. A look-out circular (LoC) was issued against Ranjit and there is no input indicating that he has left India. Our teams are raiding different places to nab Ranjit,' she said. The SSP said Jaspreet and Nimratjit did not divulge anything about the fifth accomplice. 'Ranjit and the unidentified person reached Bathinda to pick up Mehron and drop him at the Amritsar airport to board the flight at 9.15 am on June 10. Ranjit's arrest would lead us to know the fifth accused and coordinated efforts are being made to arrest them,' added the SSP. Kondal said the district police initiated efforts to extradite Mehron from the UAE on June 20 when a letter was sent to the Bureau of Investigation (BoI) of Punjab Police (HT was the first to report).'The communication was part of the protocol to reach out to Interpol for Mehron's extradition. We have yet to get confirmation if the Interpol has published a notice to locate and detain the accused for deportation to face trial in the murder case,' added the SSP. Kanchan's murder took place on the night of June 9-10 when Mehron, along with associates Jaspreet and Nimratjit, allegedly strangled Kanchan in her car. They later dumped her decomposing body in the parking lot of Adesh Medical College and Hospital in Bhucho, Bathinda. The body was recovered on June 11 evening. Police say the murder was motivated by Kanchan's controversial social media posts, which allegedly offended the Sikh community.
