Influencer’s murder: Prime accused Mehron’s 3 mobiles sent for retrieval of crime data

Three mobile phones belonging to Amritpal Singh Mehron, Sikh hardliner and prime accused in the murder of digital content creator Kanchan Kumari, alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, have been sent to the forensic laboratory to retrieve data linking to the crime, Bathinda police said on Monday.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sarvjeet Singh Brar, who is leading the investigation, said efforts were on to trace two phones belonging to the victim. “Our team is questioning the accused for various details. We cannot disclose details as the investigation is still on,” said the DSP.

Though officials familiar with the development said Mehron was flown back to India last week by authorities in the UAE where a family had given him shelter, police have not yet officially specified which country he was deported from. Mehron was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi on April 10.

Brar, who led the police team that took Mehron’s custody at the airport, said he was not aware whether the prime accused was flying alone or was brought by any foreign agency. “We were apprised about Mehron’s arrival by the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTERC) that works under the counter intelligence wing of the Punjab Police. A look-out circular (LOC) was issued against him last year,” the DSP added.

After strangling Kanchan in association with his aides in June last year, Mehron fled abroad. Investigators said the travel data showed Mehron had a valid travel visa for the UAE, and he had boarded a flight from Amritsar where he was seen not wearing his traditional Nihang attire.

Following the killing of the content creator, a video went viral on social media purportedly showing Mehron mentioning that she was killed by his two aides for her “immoral and vulgar social media content”.

Officials said the three mobile handsets of Mehron were confiscated by the UAE authorities and later handed over to the Indian authorities. “Mehron could have destroyed the mobile phones to avoid handing the devices over to the custody of the police authorities in India. Extradition is a very complex process. Punjab and central authorities had started a process to get Mehron a red notice of the Interpol issued against him. But he was finally deported by the UAE authorities,” said an official wishing not to be named.

The official further said, “As per information, Mehron was taken into custody by a UAE security agency after suspicion. As the state police had already initiated a process to extradite him, the UAE authorities possibly took note of the reports submitted to the Interpol. Bathinda police had prepared a dossier in Arabic for the UAE authorities against Mehron’s criminal activity.”

Mehron’s family members told reporters in Bathinda on Friday that he was detained by the UAE authorities in December last year.