Amid statewide protests over the Mansa district police’s seizure of the body of 35-year-old Daljit Singh, a post-mortem examination was conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, on Wednesday. Police said the cause of death would be established only after the viscera examination report is received.
Mansa senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vaibhav Chaudhary said a murder case had been registered against three persons — Mandeep Singh, Gurvinder Singh and another Mandeep Singh — all residents of Ramananda village. The accused are in police custody and further investigation is underway.
According to the SSP, the case was registered on a complaint filed by Daljit’s father, Jarnail Singh. The complainant alleged that Daljit had been friends with the accused but developed strained relations with them, which eventually led to his murder.
Daljit, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village in Mansa district, was found dead in a field near Ramananda village on Tuesday morning. However, his family maintained that he died of a drug overdose, alleging that narcotics were easily available in villages across the region.
People familiar with the matter said the police had approached Daljit’s father through intermediaries before he lodged the complaint alleging murder. Meanwhile, his widow, mother and sister continued their protest on Wednesday, expressing their opposition to the police action.
{{/usCountry}}People familiar with the matter said the police had approached Daljit’s father through intermediaries before he lodged the complaint alleging murder. Meanwhile, his widow, mother and sister continued their protest on Wednesday, expressing their opposition to the police action.
{{/usCountry}}Police officials said the family was expected to cremate the body on Thursday, following the post-mortem examination.
The controversy intensified on Tuesday evening when police took custody of Daljit’s body as his family and supporters were marching towards Mansa town to join a protest seeking justice for anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, alias Jhota, who was shot dead in Mansa on October 13.
The family had planned to take Daljit’s body to the ongoing protest. However, the police shifted it to AIIMS, Bathinda, for a post-mortem, triggering criticism from activists and political leaders.
Daljit’s wife, Paramjit Kaur, alleged on Wednesday that the police were pressuring the family to agree to a post-mortem and cremation. She claimed her husband had struggled with drug addiction for several years and died due to substance abuse.
“Instead of acting against drug peddlers, the police are attempting to portray this as a murder case to hide the easy availability of drugs,” she alleged, adding that narcotics were freely available in their villages.
The incident triggered protests across Punjab, with activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) staging demonstrations outside police stations in 13 districts on Wednesday. The union condemned the Mansa police’s action and demanded that Daljit’s body be handed over to his family without further delay.
Shingara Singh Mann, the union’s state secretary and coordinator of the protests, said demonstrations were continuing at 40 locations across the state until 4pm on Wednesday.
Heavy police deployment was reported at key locations across Mansa district as authorities anticipated large gatherings following a call by acting Akal Takht jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj for special “ardas” (prayers) at gurdwaras across Punjab.
Congress MP from Jalandhar and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi also joined the protesters in Mansa’s Tinkoni locality, condemning the police’s seizure of Daljit’s body.
The Insaaf Committee, which has been protesting since Jhota’s killing, announced a fresh agitation against the Aam Aadmi Party government. At a press conference on Wednesday, the committee called for the gherao of all ruling party MLAs for 24 hours on October 31.
Committee member Manik Goyal said members had unanimously decided that further talks with the government-appointed panel of IAS officers on Jhota’s murder case would take place only after gangster-turned-politician Lakhvir Singh, alias Lakha Sidhana, and others were released immediately.
Sidhana was detained on Tuesday for allegedly violating law and order following Daljit’s death.