Kanchan Kumari Murder: A Crime To Be Condemned, Not Justified — No Place For Violence Or Clerical Endorsement

The gruesome murder of YouTuber Kanchan Kumari, also known as “Queen” and “Kamal Kaur”, has rightly shocked the nation. But what has deepened the collective outrage is the chilling endorsement of the crime by Giani Malkit Singh, the head priest of the Akal Takht Sahib—the highest temporal seat of authority in the Sikh community.

As the custodian of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Giani’s words carry immense spiritual and moral weight. His role is not merely ceremonial; it is a sacred responsibility to uphold the principles of justice, compassion, and righteousness that form the very bedrock of Sikhism, the youngest religion. That is why his public justification of this cold-blooded murder, citing the victim’s “obscenity” and “religious denigration”, is as alarming as it is unacceptable.

There is no denying that Kanchan Kumari, a young woman from Ludhiana, courted controversy with her provocative online content. Her videos, filled with bold language and explicit imagery, may have offended sensibilities. But that is precisely why the law exists—to address such cases within the bounds of civil order.

India has stringent laws against obscenity and religious defamation. If her videos were indeed offensive, there were ample legal avenues to seek redress through police complaints and judicial action. Instead, what we witnessed was a chilling act of entrapment and murder. Misled into traveling to Bathinda under the pretext of participating in a programme, Kanchan Kumari was allegedly strangled to death.

Her decomposed body was later found in a parked car on the campus of Bathinda Medical College on June 11. The police believe the mastermind is one Amritpal Singh Mehron, who fled to the UAE after the crime, leaving his accomplices, two of whom are now in custody, to face the consequences. Such actions reflect both cowardice and criminality of the worst kind.

There was nothing brave about this murder. It was a cowardly act—orchestrated, deceitful, and cruel. For the Giani to justify such a crime is to not only violate the spiritual principles he is sworn to uphold but also undermine the very idea of justice in a democratic society. If anything, he should have urged the public to ignore the content or seek legal recourse—not endorse mob justice.

Kanchan Kumari may have been controversial, but she was a lone woman using her voice to make a living. A religion as noble and strong as Sikhism does not need protection through heinous murder. What it does need is leaders who uphold its core values—of truth, tolerance, and moral courage. Those involved in her murder must be brought to justice, and those who defend their actions, no matter how high their office, must be held morally accountable.