RTI Activist Killed; Australian Citizen Goes Missing & Infant Remains Found

June

2026

Jalandhar-based Rights to Information (RTI) activist Simranjeet Singh was shot dead outside the gate of Lovely Professional University, Chaheru village, Kapurthala district on 31 May. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Jalandhar Range, Naveen Singla, said the police had arrested the killer Sharanjit Singh. Sharanjit is the son of the victim’s maternal uncle. Preliminary investigations reveal that the victim and the accused were jointly involved in the real estate business. On the day of the incident, both individuals had traveled separately to inspect a plot of land. Sharanjit was accompanied by five associates in a car. An argument reportedly broke out between them over monetary and other business related issues and Sharanjit allegedly fired a shot using a licensed .32-bore revolver belonging to his associate Sandeep. Meanwhile, 66-year-old Australian citizen Sunil Sharma has gone missing in Panjab, prompting fears of abduction. Sharma was last heard from on 22 May while visiting Amritsar to prepare an investment property for sale ahead of his retirement. Police are probing the possible involvement of his brother Sunny Sharma who is also untraceable. Concurrently, in Halifax, Canada, a Sikh couple—Ramandeep Kaur and Sukhpreet Singh—are facing multiple charges after the remains of a baby were found in a wooded area. The probe began when emergency services responded to a 911 call regarding 23-year-old Ramandeep Kaur being in a life-threatening condition at an apartment building in Halifax. Medical staff determined that the woman had recently given birth but no infant was found with her prompting an urgent search operation involving Halifax Regional Police, firefighters, paramedics and Halifax Search and Rescue teams. Investigators were led nearly 10 km away to a wooded area off Old Coach Road near Prospect Road in Goodwood. On 31 May, the remains of a newborn were discovered there. Simultaneously, on 27 May, Patiala police discovered the body of a young woman stuffed inside a blue plastic drum in the Urban Estate area. The deceased is believed to be between 15–20 years. Her identity has not yet been established but investigators said the woman had a tattoo with the name 'Neha' on one hand and a heart symbol on the other hand. Police believe these markings could play a crucial role in identifying her (earlier coverage).