Farmers protest Punjab Police action over Mansa youth’s death

A 35-year-old man named Daljit Singh died under suspicious circumstances in Bhamme Kalan village, Mansa, Punjab. While his family and local villagers maintained that his death was caused by a synthetic drug overdose, police insisted it was murder and claimed three suspects were in custody. The situation escalated when protesters attempted to carry the deceased youth's body toward a protest site, leading to a tense face-off and a physical clash with police contingents at Ramditte Wala chowk. Law enforcement formally booked 40 unidentified individuals following the confrontation, which also sparked widespread political criticism.

The protests over the death coincided with ongoing demonstrations regarding the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota. Hundreds of members from the farmer organization BKU Ekta Ugrahan held dharnas across Mansa and numerous police stations in Punjab, refusing to cremate the body until they received what they considered justice. Political leaders from various parties criticized the state administration and the police's handling of the situation, accusing authorities of failing to curb drug abuse and mistreating protesters during the police action.

In response to the developments, the National Human Rights Commission took cognisance of the controversy surrounding the death and the subsequent confrontation involving police use of force and the detention of protesters. The NHRC issued a notice directing the Punjab Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to conduct an inquiry and submit an action-taken report within two weeks.

Not yet reported: The reports do not specify the final identities of the 40 booked individuals or the specific legal sections applied beyond general mentions of stringent provisions.