Bikramjit Singh is dead. The 30-year-old succumbed to injuries sustained in a mob attack in Mari Pannwan village, Sri Hargobindpur Sahib, on Thursday. He had confronted a group of suspected dealers over their presence on a street where residents said it had become unsafe for women to walk. Two others, Nishan Singh and Gurmukh Singh, remain in hospital with serious injuries from the assault.
The violence was triggered when the three men objected to alleged drug sales. Residents describe the street as a regular gathering spot for traffickers, a hazard that prompted the confrontation. The situation escalated instantly. A mob of more than 15 individuals, armed with sharp-edged weapons, descended on the group. Police have launched an investigation but have not yet named specific accused.
This is the third high-profile drug-related killing in Punjab in just days. The incident follows the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh alias Jhota in Mansa and the reported death of 30-year-old Sahil in Ludhiana after consuming medicinal drugs. The pattern has ignited a fierce political war. BJP leader Parminder Singh Brar posted on X, drawing a direct line between the Mansa killing and the Sri Hargobindpur Sahib attack. “What happened in Mansa is now being reported from village Mari, Sri Hargobindpur Sahib!” he wrote.
Congress leader Pargat Singh joined the chorus, alleging that drug traffickers operate with political and police patronage under the Aam Aadmi Party government. “What happened in Mansa is happening across Punjab!” Singh said, questioning the state’s handling of the crisis. These are unverified political claims, but they reflect the growing frustration among voters who see no end to the violence.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann faces a critical test this Friday. He is scheduled to chair a high-level review of the state’s anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh, at the Punjab Police Academy in Phillaur. The meeting will bring together senior police and administrative officials from all districts, including Senior Superintendents of Police, Deputy Commissioners, and Sub-Divisional Magistrates. The government must present a concrete strategy to quell the anger, or the political fallout will only deepen.