An Indian man living in the UK is being hunted by cops after allegedly hiring a contract killer to murder his elderly American lover.
British-based Charanjit Singh Grewal had invited his girlfriend Rupinder Kaur Pandher to visit him at Kila Raipur village in the Indian state of Punjab, after she transferred a large sum of money.
When she arrived in July 2025, he allegedly arranged for her to be killed by a local man named Sukhjeet Singh, also known as Sonu, who police said was promised INR 5 million (GBP 41,500) to carry out the murder.
Picture shows Rupinder Kaur Pandher and Charanjit Singh Grewal, undated. The US citizen was killed in Punjab, India. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Rupinder, a divorced mother who lived in Seattle, had first met Grewal in May 2024 through a matrimonial site.
The following July he travelled to the US where she introduced him to family members in Houston.
In October 2024, she flew to India while he came from the UK, but relatives later said she was mistreated in his village.
She returned to the US the following May, after already transferring USD 36,500 (GBP 26,700) to India.
In June 2025, Rupinder returned once again to India after Grewal told her he would marry her. She stayed with acquaintances linked to him before travelling on to his village in July.
Picture shows Rupinder Kaur Pandher and Charanjit Singh Grewal, undated. The US citizen was killed in Punjab, India. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Police said that on the night of 12th–13th July, Sonu killed her with a baseball bat inside his home, then burned the body with diesel in a storeroom, cooled the remains with water, and packed them into sacks before dumping them in a drain.
Rupinder's sister, Kamal Kaur Khairah, became alarmed when her calls went unanswered for days and her phone was switched off.
She contacted the US Embassy in Delhi, which pressed Punjab Police to begin an investigation.
In August, Sonu filed a false missing person’s report, telling police that Rupinder had left to attend a wedding in Canada.
He was arrested in early September and confessed to the murder. He also led investigators to a drain where partial skeletal remains and personal belongings, including a badly damaged iPhone, were recovered and sent for forensic tests.
Picture shows Rupinder Kaur Pandher and Charanjit Singh Grewal, undated. The US citizen was killed in Punjab, India. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Police confirmed that Grewal, who remains in the UK, is named as the prime suspect and that his brother and other associates have also been listed in the case but are absconding.
Authorities say the motive was financial, with Rupinder's money transfers forming a central part of the investigation.
Efforts are continuing to secure Grewal's arrest with the support of international agencies.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)