Family seeks justice after Punjab man's suspected overdose death, Oppn targets govt over drug menace

Chandigarh, Oct 28 (IANS) After the suspected death of a 35-year-old man due to a drug overdose in Punjab's Mansa district triggered a protest by his family, Opposition leaders also targeted the ruling party over its alleged failure to curb the drug menace in the state.

The family of the deceased, Daljit Singh, placed his body on a main road on Tuesday and blocked traffic, demanding strict action against those allegedly involved in selling drugs in the area.

The family suspects that Daljit died of a drug overdose, while police officials have said the exact cause of death will be established only after the postmortem examination.

Daljit's wife, Paramjit Kaur, and his mother, Sinder Kaur, along with other relatives, alleged that drug-related deaths continue to claim lives in Punjab despite repeated assurances from the government that the menace would be brought under control.

They demanded that the police identify and arrest those supplying narcotics in the locality, warning that the easy availability of drugs was putting more lives at risk.

Tensions escalated during the demonstration when protesters clashed with the police. Amid the confrontation, police took away the deceased's body, further intensifying the family's anger and raising questions over the handling of the situation.

Heavy police deployment was made along major roads to prevent protesters from reaching the ongoing protest site of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota at Tinkoni, near the Deputy Commissioner's residence.

Police set up pickets in neighbouring districts to prevent people from mobilising for protests on Wednesday.

Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh, speaking to reporters, criticised the political leadership over the prevailing situation and demanded accountability from senior officials and the state government.

"The real issue is that Punjab is being turned into a spectacle. Both these parties are responsible for creating this situation; one is the B-team and the other is the A-team. I have always said this. The SSP should be dismissed immediately, and Bhagwant Mann and the DGP should resign," he said.

At the same time, Singh appealed to people to ensure their protests remained peaceful and did not result in further harm.

Meanwhile, members of the deceased's family questioned the police action and alleged that they had been pressured to sign documents without their consent.

Speaking to IANS, a family member said, "They are now portraying it as murder. The police have taken my father along and are conducting a postmortem. Why are they doing it without our consent when no one in our family has agreed to it? They came to our house and pressured us to sign documents."

Another family member, speaking to IANS, said the family had been struggling for years and did not want any other member to experience a similar tragedy.

"Where is so much drug coming from, and where is this chitta (drug) being sold? There should be an investigation; that is all we want. We hold no grudge against anyone. Our only resentment is that the body was taken away from us. What right did the police have to stop the vehicles?" the family member questioned.

The family also questioned the manner in which the police were handling the case, particularly the decision to take away the body and separate relatives during the proceedings.

"If the police believe it was a murder, is this how they conduct an investigation -- by hiding the body, fleeing with it and taking family members to separate police stations? Is this what a police investigation looks like?" a relative questioned.

The relative added that even if the police had taken the body away to prevent the law-and-order situation from worsening, the action did not justify detaining the deceased's family members.

"Even if the police took the body to prevent the law-and-order situation from deteriorating, that is understandable. But that does not justify detaining the deceased's family," she added.

Meanwhile, according to the police, an investigation into the case is underway, and the cause of death will only be confirmed after the postmortem report comes.

Further details are awaited.

--IANS

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