Punjab Police snatched the body of 35‑year‑old Daljit Singh in Mansa district on 27 October 2026, sparking a nationwide backlash.
The body was seized after the family tried to escort it to a protest site at Ramditte Wala Chowk, where activists were mourning the death of anti‑drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota. Police allegedly blocked the route with parked vehicles and trucks, forcing the family to halt their march.
Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Chaudhary said the officers intervened after “elements attempting to disturb law‑and‑order” and that the body would be sent for a post‑mortem. Chaudhary added that no last rites would be performed and that further action would await the family’s consent.
Congress leader Raja Brar slammed the move as “shameful and inhuman” on X, accusing the state police of violating grieving families’ dignity. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal also attacked Mann, calling him complicit in the state’s failure to tackle the drug crisis.
Singh was married with two children and had reportedly battled addiction; his death has intensified calls for the arrest of drug suppliers and a review of Punjab’s drug‑addiction policies.
Police have already dispatched the body to a forensic lab, while a special assembly session on 30 October will address the incident and the state’s drug‑crisis strategy.