India, Sept. 18 -- It was supposed to be a new chapter in love and companionship but ended up being a chilling tale of betrayal and murder. A 71-year-old US citizen of Indian origin, who had flown all the way from US to Punjab in order to marry the man she loved, was allegedly killed in Kila Raipur village in Ludhiana, in July - her body burnt and ashes disposed of in a drain. The conspiracy, police said, was masterminded by none other than her fiance.

The victim, Rupinder Kaur Pandher, had come to India earlier this year, full of hope for a marriage with 75-year-old UK-based NRI Charanjit Singh Grewal. The two had reportedly known each other for months, visited religious and tourist sites together in Punjab, and posed for photographs at...