Who is Inder Kaur, the Punjabi singer who was found dead in Ludhiana canal?

Punjabi singer Inder Kaur, also known as Yashinder Kaur, was found dead in Ludhiana's Neelo Canal in the early hours of Tuesday, six days after she was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint, according to police and her family. She had left her home on the evening of May 13 in her Ford Figo car to buy groceries, but did not return.

Kaur was a known face in Punjabi music and on social media. Born in 1997, she was also a make-up artist from Punjab and had built a following through her songs, stage performances and regular online presence. Her death has brought attention not only to the events surrounding her death but also to her work in the Punjabi entertainment industry.

Who is Inder Kaur?

Inder Kaur had gradually made a place for herself in Punjabi music over the years. Her song releases included Afghan Jatti, Sohna Lagda, Laanedaarni, Desi Sirre De, Sone Di Wang, Kisaan Anthem, Jija, Rich Standard, Aakad and Kado Ti Milegi. She also had several other songs to her name, which helped her gain popularity among Punjabi music listeners.

Apart from singing, Kaur worked as a make-up artist and remained active on social media. Her presence online, along with stage shows in the region, helped her build a fan base. On Instagram, where she stayed connected with her audience, she had nearly 125,000 followers.

What happened to Inder Kaur?

According to a police complaint filed by her brother, Jotinder Singh, Kaur left home at around 8.30 pm on May 13 to buy groceries. When she did not return, the family suspected Sukhwinder Singh, alias Sukha, a resident of Bhaloor village in Moga.

The family alleged that Sukhwinder had been pressuring her to marry him. The complaint said the two had connected on Instagram about three years ago and became friends. After Kaur learnt that he was already married and had children, she ended contact and rejected his marriage proposal.

Police suspect that on May 13, Sukhwinder and his accomplices intercepted her car, kidnapped her at gunpoint, killed her and dumped her body in the Neelo Canal. Investigators also suspect that he travelled from Canada to Punjab through Nepal and later fled back to Canada through the same route after the crime.

Kaur's body was recovered from the canal and sent to the mortuary at the Civil Hospital in Samrala for a post-mortem examination. Her family has questioned the police response, saying an FIR against Sukhwinder Singh and his associate Karamjit Singh was registered at Jamalpur Police Station on May 15 and that timely action might have saved her life.

SHO Balbir Singh said a case had been registered under relevant sections and efforts were underway to trace and arrest the accused and the fleeing accomplices.