CHANDIGARH: Farmers are staging demonstrations outside police stations across Punjab to protest the police action involving the body of 35-year old marginal farmer Daljit Singh who died under mysterious circumstances as the Punjab Police allegedly forcibly took custody of Singh’s body and shifted it to AIIMS, Bathinda, amid protests by his family and supporters of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota thus backing his family’s demand that it be handed over for the last rites.
Daljit Singh, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village in Sardulgarh, died under mysterious circumstances. His family and supporters were trying to take his body to the protest site near the Mansa Deputy Commissioner’s residence, where an agitation is underway over the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, when the police allegedly took it away on Tuesday.
Senior leader of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), one of Punjab’s largest farmer organisations Jhanda Singh Jethuke said that the body be handed over to the family without delay.
"The body of the deceased must be handed over to the family without any delay. It is their prerogative to decide how and when they want to cremate him. Why should the police interfere?” he said in a video message.
Jethuke urged farmers and union members to set aside their other engagements and join the demonstrations, saying the organisation would mobilise its supporters across Punjab against what it described as police excesses.
The union has also announced that a large contingent of its supporters will head to Mansa to join the ongoing protest by Jhota’s family and supporters.
The family has demanded that its right to decide on the last rites be respected. The BKU Ekta Ugrahan’s mobilisation is expected to widen the agitation, with protests planned outside police stations across the state over the handling of the matter.
The police have registered two FIRs, one for murder and another for attempt to murder over the attack on the police team, and arrested three persons in connection with Singh’s death.
The case has been registered on the statement of Jarnail Singh, father of deceased Daljit Singh who is a retired junior government employee and currently works as a veterinary pharmacist. According to a police officer, he named three persons, Mandeep Singh, Gurwinder Singh and another Mandeep Singh, all from neighbouring Ramanandi village for the death of his son.
The post-mortem examination is yet to be conducted.
Daljit Singh’s family had alleged that he died after consuming ‘chitta’ (heroin) and demanded action against those supplying drugs.
Paramjit Kaur, wife of the deceased, said that her husband had been consuming drugs for a long time but had given up the habit around three weeks ago. She added that he had left home on his motorcycle on Tuesday morning and was answering her calls until around 9.55 am, after which his body was allegedly dumped by people travelling in a car.
"His motorcycle is yet to be traced,‘’ she said.
Heavy police deployment had been made on major roads to prevent protesters from reaching the ongoing protest site of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota at Tinkoni, near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence.Also police pickets have also been set up in neighbouring districts to prevent mobilisation today.
Sources said the police had detained some leaders of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) to prevent them from reaching Mansa to participate in the protest today. Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh and Tarsem Singh, father of incarcerated Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, are also expected to visit the town.
Senior Superintendent of Police of Mansa, Vaibhav Chaudhary said separate cases had been registered in connection with Daljit Singh’s death and the attack on the police team.
"One police personal was injured, while some others sustained minor injuries during the confrontation. Three accused named by the deceased’s father have been arrested. We are identifying those involved in the attempt to murder case with the help of video footage,” he said.
He added that around 20-25 protesters had been detained on Tuesday to maintain law and order and subsequently shifted to different locations. “We are now maintaining law and order and are not detaining anyone,” he said.
The police, however, maintained that the circumstances indicated murder and said the exact cause of death would be established after the post-mortem examination.
Interesintgly, gangster-turned-politician Lakhvir Singh Lakha Sidhana and a woman activist of the Punjab Students Union were among those detained on Tuesday.
This incident triggered protests yesterday after family of Singh and supporters of Jhota attempted to take the body from Bhamme Kalan village to the protest site in Mansa. The police stopped the procession at Ramdittewala Chowk in Mansa town, leading to a clash and the detention of several protesters, including women. All opposition parties have condemned the state government over the incident.
The fresh tension has added to the unease in Mansa town where an agitation over Jhota’s killing has been continuing for the past two weeks near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence. Jhota was shot dead at a chemist shop on October 13 following a confrontation over the alleged sale of banned drugs.
The continuing unrest has also affected local residents and businesses during the festive season. Some residents have demanded the temporary closure of schools amid the tense situation.
