Mansa, Oct 27 Tensions escalated on Tuesday as police took away the body of a 35-year-old man who died allegedly of drug overdose in Bhamme Kalan village here, after his family held a dharna and tried to take the body to the site where a protest is on against the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.
Police, however, said the cause of death is under investigation and claimed some “misinformation” was spread that the death was caused by a drug overdose. They said a murder case in the incident is being registered.
Opposition parties, which have been targeting the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab over the drug menace, said that “snatching a dead man’s body” and assaulting those seeking accountability and justice for “drug overdose” death is disgraceful.
Mansa’s Senior Superintendent of Police, Vaibhav Choudhary, claimed that Daljit Singh’s body was thrown by someone on the roadside. “Three main accused have been rounded up,” the SSP said.
The family of Daljit, along with others, held a dharna and said they wanted to take his body to Mansa, where the family of anti-drug activist Jhota and others are sitting in protest demanding justice for him.
Two weeks after Jhota’s murder, his family has refused to allow a post-mortem until their various demands, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation, are met.
As protesters blocked a road, police said they had to use mild force to disperse them, claiming many mischievous elements had joined the group at the site and were trying to disturb law and order.
Visuals of the police lifting the body of the deceased and carrying it across the road divider before putting it in a vehicle were shared by several opposition leaders on their social media handles.
Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa said, “Mansa Police rushing away with the body of a young man, reportedly after an overdose death, raises serious questions.”
“Another young life lost to the drug menace in Punjab. How many more families must suffer before the @BhagwantMann takes responsibility?” he said in a post on X.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Mann government has all the might to stop a grieving family and village youth from reaching the protest site and registering their anguish, but zero intent to stop the drug menace because it is filling their own coffers.
“They only wanted to take his body to the dharna site, vent their anger and plead for action against peddlers,” said Badal in a post on X.
“No one would have fathomed that we would see such visuals from Punjab! What is even happening on the streets here?” he said.
He said Bhagwant Mann “and his master Arvind Kejriwal today crossed all limits by attacking our Dastaar and Kakaar!”.
“For a Gursikh, to remove his turban and drag him by his hair along the street is the biggest disrespect and torture. It is a sin that can never be undone! Shame on you Bhagwant Mann for meting out this treatment to Punjabis! And what is their crime?
“Why are you assaulting them like this? Just because they are seeking accountability and justice for thousands of drug overdose deaths?” Badal said.
Giving details of the incident, Mansa SSP Vaibhav Choudhary told reporters, “Around 11 am we received information that a dead body was lying on the side of a road. A police party was immediately sent there. Some misinformation spread in the area that the death was caused by a drug overdose.
“When we started the investigation, we came to know that someone came in a vehicle and threw the body there. We have formed separate teams to catch the culprits. We are registering a murder case in the incident. Three main accused have been rounded up.”
He said that along with the family members of the deceased, some “mischievous elements” tried to march towards the city and disturb law and order.
“We made mild use of force to maintain law and order. If anyone tries to disturb law and order, action will be taken,” he said.
The SSP said peaceful protest is a democratic right of anyone. If anyone sits in peaceful protest, police will allow it, he added.
” Three police personnel have been injured and we are getting an attempt to murder case registered,” he said, referring to the protest.
Asked where the body was taken by the police, the SSP replied, “That has been sent out of Mansa and the exact location will be given later. Family will get the last rites done. We have met the family and they are satisfied”.
Replying to a question, the SSP said Waris Punjab de leader Lakha Singh Sidhana tried to “break law and order” and has been detained.
Former Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said that “snatching a dead man’s body and fleeing is a disgraceful assault on his dignity and a cruel violation of his family’s grief”.
Slamming the police action, SAD senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the situation is reminiscent of 1984. “Dragging the body of a Sikh mercilessly on the road, reminiscent of the horrors of 1984. Disrespecting the Kes and Kakkars of an Amritdhari Sikh.
“Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary must resign. This assault on human dignity and Sikh religious sentiments is unacceptable,” Majithia said in the post.
“Stop setting Punjab on fire. Shame!,” the SAD leader said.
Demanding imposition of President’s rule in Punjab, Majithia said the situation in Punjab has spiralled out of control.
He alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wants to suppress every truth. “But Punjab has awakened. Punjab will no longer be silenced,” he said.
(PTI News)
