MANSA — An official post-mortem examination has confirmed that 35-year-old Daljit Singh died of an acute drug overdose on October 27 in Punjab's Mansa district, directly contradicting the Punjab Police's initial registration of a murder case against three individuals.
Toxicology screenings conducted at AIIMS Bathinda detected lethal concentrations of morphine and benzodiazepines in Singh's system. The findings vindicate the claims of his grieving family, who maintained from day one that the father of two died from narcotics rather than physical assault. Singh, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village and the sole breadwinner for his household, was discovered lifeless in agricultural fields near Ramanandi after traveling to Mansa to procure drugs.
The medical report blew apart the official narrative. It ignited fierce street demonstrations across the district.
Following the discovery of Singh's body, enraged family members and local villagers placed his corpse across the Sirsa-Mansa highway, barricading all vehicular movement. Demonstrators demanded the immediate arrest of regional narcotics peddlers, pledging to maintain the blockade until authorities dismantled local drug networks.
Tensions escalated when Punjab Police personnel moved into the protest zone and forcibly seized Singh's body from his relatives. The administration transported the corpse directly to AIIMS Bathinda for the initial post-mortem examination, bypassing the family's consent.
Singh's sister, Amarjit Kaur, moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court with an urgent petition. Kaur challenged the police's unilateral seizure of the corpse and alleged that authorities carried out the initial post-mortem examination covertly to conceal widespread drug circulation in the district.
Intervening in the mounting standoff, the High Court established strict protocol for the funeral rites and ordered an independent, second post-mortem examination at PGIMER Chandigarh. Under heavy security deployment, Singh was finally cremated in Bhamme Kalan on November 5.
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal launched a blistering offensive against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal, accusing the administration of orchestrating a deliberate cover-up to downplay Punjab's narcotics crisis.
Punjab Govt and Punjab Police have been completely exposed for trying to scuttle Daljit Singh's death as 'murder'. SSP Mansa pushed a false narrative, he ordered the kidnapping of Daljit's corpse and then threatened the family.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Member of Parliament
The clash carries sharp resonance across Mansa district, which previously witnessed the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota. While political parties trade pledges to dismantle cross-border contraband pipelines ahead of upcoming electoral battles, local communities face an unyielding overdose toll.
| Case Parameter | Official Detail | Evidence Status |
|---|---|---|
| Victim | Daljit Singh (Age 35, Bhamme Kalan) | Confirmed |
| Incident Date | October 27 | Verified |
| Initial Police Action | Murder FIR registered against 3 people | Contested by family |
| AIIMS Bathinda Findings | Morphine and benzodiazepines detected | Overdose confirmed |
| Judicial Intervention |
Forensic pathologists at PGIMER Chandigarh are currently processing the tissue samples from the court-ordered second autopsy, with their definitive report scheduled for submission to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the coming legal proceedings.
| Punjab and Haryana High Court order |
| Second autopsy mandated |
| Cremation Date | November 5 (Heavy police deployment) | Completed |
| Secondary Medical Review | PGIMER Chandigarh | Forensic results awaited |