Mansa (Punjab) [India], October 29 (ANI): Paramjit Kaur, wife of Daljit Singh, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village in Punjab’s Mansa district who died under suspicious circumstances, has demanded justice and the release of her detained family members and villagers, alleging that police seized her husband’s body while they were taking it to Mansa for a protest.
“When we brought the body, it was snatched away from us. We want justice. We want that our people who have been held (by police) should be released,” Paramjit Kaur told ANI.
According to the family, Daljit Singh’s body was found on a road in Mansa district. His family said he used drugs and that he died because of the drugs. They have also alleged that his body was thrown from a vehicle. The police, however, have classified the incident as murder and are searching for the perpetrators.
Paramjit Kaur alleged that when the family was transporting Daljit Singh’s body from Bhamme Kalan to Mansa for a protest, the police forcibly took possession of it.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of Daljit Singh’s death and the allegations concerning police action and the detention of protesters near Ratiyanwala Chowk.
The complaint raised concerns over the alleged use of force by police and the detention of protesters. The NHRC has directed the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab to investigate the matter and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within two weeks.
The Commission has called for an impartial investigation and accountability in the case.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia on Wednesday expressed grief over Daljit Singh’s death and accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of failing to address the state’s drug problem.
Bhatia also criticised the Punjab Police over its alleged handling of Daljit Singh’s body, referring to the significance of the turban in Punjabi culture.
“With a very heavy heart, I want to say that the pride of Punjab is its turban, but the way Punjab Police has mistreated Daljit’s body is extremely unfortunate. You have shown utter disrespect to the turban,” he said.
The BJP leader further alleged that CM Mann had failed in his responsibilities and criticised Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for not speaking out on the matter.
The incident follows a spate of high-profile incidents across the state, including targeted attacks and killings of anti-drug activists–such as the murder of prominent activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa–and public protests by grieving families. (ANI)
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