Honor Killing in Kotkapura; Research Scholar Dies of Electrocution in PU

August

2026

A 20-year-old woman, Mahakpreet Kaur, was allegedly murdered by her own family in Faridkot district in a case of honor killing after she married a man against her family's wishes. The woman was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon before her body was dumped in a field along the Amritsar-Bathinda National Highway near Kotkapura, Faridkot district. Police said the incident took place on 27 Jul evening when the couple was traveling on a motorcycle towards Kotkapura and were intercepted by members of Mahakpreet's family. Jagdeep Singh reportedly managed to escape from the spot, but Mahakpreet was caught by her relatives and apparently stabbed by her father. Her body was recovered on 28 Jul, following which it was shifted for a post-mortem examination. Mahakpreet had married Jagdeep Singh, also from the same village, on 4 May. Jagdeep has lodged a complaint with the police with an application for protection in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The application remains pending. Police have filed a First Information Report against her father, two uncles, and two relatives. Meanwhile, a 27-year-old research scholar, Jyoti Yadav, at Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh died due to electrocution amid heavy rain at the university’s south campus on 28 Jul. The victim was a resident of Rewari, Haryana, who was pursuing her PhD from the Department of Biotechnology. Jyoti was on her way to the department when she took an unpaved path to avoid waterlogging. However, within seconds, she came in contact with an electric current, suspected to have spread from an electric junction box. The victim was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared her ‘brought dead’. A case of death by negligence has been registered. Following a meeting with Jyoti’s family members, the PU authorities announced financial assistance of USD 16,790 and a job for her brother. As news of Jyoti's death spread, student groups launched protests against the university authorities. PU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Renu Vig faced students’ anger on the last day of her tenure—after serving as the university’s first woman VC for over three years. Meenakshi Goyal has taken over as the new acting VC of PU (earlier coverage).