Jaskaran Singh, 22, a resident of Jalalabad village in Dharamkot, Punjab, died on September 21 after a decade‑long battle with heroin, known locally as Chitta. The boy had spent six months in a private de‑addiction centre but relapsed upon returning home.
Sikander Singh, Jaskaran’s father, said the family had to borrow money and spend thousands of rupees on treatment, even selling household items, including his mother’s clothes, to fund the addiction. The parents sold everything they owned, left with nothing to pay for a second treatment.
Mothers echoed that Chitta is as common as sugar in the village, citing the ease of access for young men. “My son is gone, but 10 to 12 other young men are also trapped in drugs,” the mother said, demanding authorities crack down on local suppliers.
Dharamkot SHO Jitender Singh confirmed that the exact cause of death is yet to be established, saying a post‑mortem will clarify the circumstances. He added that the police are investigating the supply chain but have not yet linked it to Jaskaran’s death.