The death of 35-year-old Daljit Singh in Punjab's Mansa has triggered a row, with his family alleging a drug overdose while police registered a murder case against three people. The controversy escalated after police took away his body during a protest, drawing opposition criticism and renewed demands to curb drug supply.Mansa,Oct 28, 2026 19:00 ISTThe sister of a 35-year-old man who died in Punjab's Mansa district has claimed that he died of a drug overdose and demanded an end to the supply of drugs, even as police registered a murder case against three people, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The death of Daljit Singh triggered tension on Tuesday after police took away his body while his family was staging a dharna.
The family had planned to take the body to a protest being held by the relatives of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.Daljit's sister Amarjit Kaur and wife Paramjit Kaur joined the protest by Jhota's family on Wednesday. Speaking to mediapersons, Amarjit claimed that her brother had no enmity with anyone.
She said he went out with someone on Tuesday and allegedly died of a drug overdose.Amarjit also criticised the police for taking away Daljit's body during the dharna. "We demand justice in the matter. We want the drug supply to be stopped," she said.
Asked whether the family had consented to the cremation, she said it had not. However, a senior police officer told Press Trust of India on Wednesday that a murder case had been registered against three people following a complaint by Daljit's father.Several opposition leaders criticised Punjab Police and the state government over the incident.
Former chief minister and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi joined the protest in Mansa and alleged that police were trying to portray Daljit's death as murder so that it would not be recorded as a drug overdose death. Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh questioned how Mansa Police had concluded so quickly that Daljit had not died of a drug overdose and that it was a murder case.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Singh accused the AAP government of misusing the state police.Opposition parties, which have been targeting the Bhagwant Mann government over the alleged drug menace in Punjab, said that "snatching a dead man's body" and assaulting people seeking accountability and justice over a "drug overdose" death was disgraceful.Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Choudhary had claimed on Tuesday that Daljit's body was thrown by someone on the roadside and that the three main accused had been rounded up, according to Press Trust of India.Daljit's family had staged a dharna and wanted to take his body to Mansa, where Jhota's family and others were protesting to demand justice. After protesters blocked a road, police used mild force, claiming that several mischievous elements had joined the group and were trying to disturb law and order.Visuals showing police personnel lifting Daljit's body, carrying it across a road divider and pushing it into a vehicle were shared by several opposition leaders on social media.
Police also detained several protesters, including Waris Punjab De leader Lakha Singh Sidhana and a woman activist.Officials told Press Trust of India on Wednesday that an FIR for attempt to murder had been registered over an alleged attack on a police team on Tuesday.Jhota was shot dead in Mansa town two weeks earlier. His family has refused to allow a post-mortem until its demands, including the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, are met.
Daljit's family has now joined that protest while disputing the police account of his death and demanding action to stop the supply of drugs.- Ends