A pregnant Indian social media influencer has died almost two months after she was allegedly kidnapped, bound to a tree and set ablaze, The Indian Express reported.
Manjeet Kaur—who has 146,000 followers on Instagram—succumbed to sepsis Aug. 26 at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, according to The Indian Express. An autopsy, citing police, revealed she was pregnant, the outlet reported.
Chandigarh Police Inspector Shadi Lal told the publication that investigators are facing a major hurdle because the alleged attack dates back roughly two months. By the time police began searching for surveillance video, he said, much of the potentially vital CCTV footage had already been erased, with toll plazas typically storing recordings for only about 15 days.
Lal added that authorities still do not have a firm lead on the vehicle allegedly used or on the identities of the accused. He said even the victim’s mother has been unable to provide those details, noting that identifying the vehicle would have significantly helped the probe.
According to the report, Kaur’s mother, Kanta Devi, told police that on July 3, two people known to her daughter met Kaur and took her to Morinda, a town in Punjab in northern India. Devi alleged that once there, Kaur was attacked, tied to a mulberry tree and set on fire.
A friend reportedly discovered Kaur engulfed in flames, smothered the fire with a blanket and then rushed her to a hospital, The Indian Express said.
The 28-year-old sustained burns on up to 45 percent of her body and hospital records initially attributed her injuries to a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder leak, a PGIMER spokesperson told The Indian Express. She regained consciousness Aug. 5, the outlet reported, before she died weeks later.
Kaur’s mother has accused her daughter’s acquaintances of kidnapping—and alleged that police failed to interview Kaur before she died.
ALSO READ: Sean Duffy and Fox News Host Rachel Campos-Duffy Mocked Over Risqué Bedroom Confession
According to Devi, Kharar Sadar police did not come to the hospital to take her statement, even after they were informed, the Indian Express reported.
Deputy Superintendent of Kharar Police Ishan Singla insisted that his department fully cooperated with the family, while maintaining that the alleged crime is the responsibility of Chandigarh authorities.
“Since the place of occurrence falls under Chandigarh jurisdiction, the action was to be taken by Chandigarh Police,” Singla said, according to the Indian Express. “Kharar police provided full assistance to the victim’s mother, took her to the concerned police station, and facilitated the registration of the FIR [First Information Report] in Chandigarh.”
Chandigarh police are now investigating the case.
Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur told the media, “A case of kidnapping and murder has been registered after receiving the deceased’s mother’s complaint.”
Spokespeople from PGIMER, Chandigarh Police and Kharar Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Oxygen.