“So what if she was killed? It’s a good thing that she was."
Amritpal Singh Mehron, a 30-year-old bike mechanic turned vigilante, fled India after being named a key accused in the murder of Punjabi social media influencer Kanchan Kumari, also known as Kamal Kaur Bhabi.
Her body was found in a car in Bathinda last week.
Mehron, who ran a self-styled moral policing group called Kaum de Rakhe (Saviours of the Community), reportedly escaped to the UAE shortly after the killing.
Two of his associates have been arrested, and police are searching for a third man, Ranjit Singh.
In a video released after Kanchan’s death, Mehron said she had been “warned” over her “immoral and vulgar” content, which he claimed defamed Sikh values.
He said: “So what if she was killed? It’s a good thing that she was.
“Actually, it happened late. She should’ve been killed off five to seven years ago.”
While denying direct involvement, Mehron vowed to continue his mission to “clean up” Punjab.
He added: “If I have to stay in jail for five-six years, I will make it worth it.”
The youngest of five siblings, Mehron completed Class XII and earned a diploma in diesel mechanics from ITI Moga.
He first gained attention in 2020 for vandalising statues on Amritsar’s Heritage Street, claiming they dishonoured the faith. The case was dropped in 2023 after support from Sikh groups.
From there, he shifted towards moral and religious vigilantism, gaining a large following by targeting influencers, self-styled spiritual leaders, and traditional healers.
His online fame led to a political bid in 2022, contesting the Punjab assembly elections from Tarn Taran as a Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate. He lost, receiving just over 6,000 votes.
Despite this, he continued to post videos flaunting weapons, issuing threats, and confronting those he accused of spreading vulgarity.
Support for Amritpal Singh Mehron is deeply divided.
Independent MP Sarabjeet Singh visited his family in solidarity. The family of jailed MP Amritpal Singh also offered support.
Others within the Sikh community have condemned him. Nihang leader Harjeet Singh Rasulpur said:
“It is a shame that Mehron is donning the dress of a Nihang and using it to issue threats and kill.”
More accusations have emerged.
One influencer claimed Mehron beat and extorted him.
Influencer Deepika Luthra recently told police that she was lured to a fake shoot, threatened, and forced to apologise. She is now under police protection.
Police often ignored or downplayed Mehron’s threats.
Former Punjab ADGP Gurinder Singh Dhillon said: “People like him used social media to hand out death threats and call for violence. That must be curbed.”
Amritpal Singh Mehron initially portrayed Kaum de Rakhe as a social service group. His team claimed to have mediated family disputes and rescued victims of abuse. But his focus shifted to vigilante justice.
In 2021, his group smashed tiles in Chandigarh that depicted religious figures. In another incident, they raided a gurdwara in Rajasthan to remove religious texts they claimed were being desecrated.
In several cases, Mehron and his group beat up individuals they accused of blackmail, vulgarity or disrespecting religious figures.
He also targeted traditional healers selling remedies for sexual dysfunction, forcing them to apologise on video.
He claimed to have pressured Amritsar-based influencer Deepika Luthra to stop making what he called vulgar content. Luthra said she was threatened and forced to comply.
Historians say vigilantes like Mehron are not new.
Dr Harjeshwar Pal Singh from SGGS College, Chandigarh, said:
“Such figures have historically acted as custodians of morality. Many are backed by political groups and thrive on social media virality.”
Dr Kanwalpreet Kaur from DAV College added: “These vigilantes should not become keepers of our collective conscience. Their actions must be checked by law.”
Authorities are now working to trace Amritpal Singh Mehron, with international cooperation underway.
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