Punjab Man Who Raised Drug Menace Before Minister Dies by Suicide; NHRC Issues …

Gulzar Singh, a resident of Toor Vanjara village in Punjab’s Sangrur district, died on Monday night after swallowing a poisonous substance, sparking political controversy and a National Human Rights Commission intervention.

During a programme attended by Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Gulzar had reportedly raised concerns about his son being a victim of chitta, which he said was being sold openly in the village. His family and friends alleged that after raising these concerns, Gulzar faced political pressure to apologise, which left him mentally disturbed.

He first sought treatment at a government hospital in Sangrur before being referred to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. Due to the unavailability of a ventilator there, he was transferred back to a private hospital in Sangrur. When his condition deteriorated, he was moved to DMC Hospital in Ludhiana, where he died around 10:30 on Monday night.

BJP Response and Demand for CBI Probe

The opposition quickly seized on the incident. A BJP delegation led by state president Kewal Singh Dhillon met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday, submitting a memorandum that called for impartial action in two Sangrur cases — Gulzar’s suicide and an alleged custodial assault of Mohanjit Singh. The BJP sought a CBI probe into Gulzar’s death.

Dhillon said the party had reviewed a video purportedly recorded before Gulzar’s death, in which he named the Punjab Finance Minister and others whom he held responsible for the circumstances leading to his death.

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, addressing reporters in New Delhi, accused the Punjab government of failing to curb the drug trade.

“Under the government of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Punjab, the drug trade is openly flourishing, and the government is not taking effective action on it,” Bhatia said.

SAD and Congress Criticism

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia termed the incident unfortunate and demanded Harpal Cheema’s arrest.

“Everyone heard the dying declaration… Is he Cheema above the law? We are demanding his arrest. We stand with that family,” Majithia said.

Majithia also questioned the state’s healthcare infrastructure, noting the sequence of transfers before Gulzar’s death.

“First, he was shifted from Sangrur to Patiala. Then again, he was shifted from Patiala to Sangrur due to the unavailability of a ventilator. He was then admitted to a private hospital. Finally, he was shifted to DMC. This means that health services are zero.”

Congress MP Amar Singh said drugs represent a serious problem across Punjab.

“Under this government, drugs are flowing freely, in every village, every neighbourhood and every street. The AAP government has ruined the youth. They came to power by promising that they would eliminate drugs, but today, under the government of Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal, drugs are being sold in Punjab on a large scale like never before. I believe they should resign because they have failed to resolve any of these issues.”

AAP Defense

AAP leader Anurag Dhanda defended the government’s record, saying thousands of drug traffickers had been arrested and would serve sentences.

“If anyone else is found involved in drug trafficking, we will not spare them, unlike the previous governments,” Dhanda said.

NHRC Intervention

National Human Rights Commission member Priyank Kanoongo called the incident a blatant violation of human rights and said notices had been sent to the DGP, Chief Secretary, SP, and District Magistrate concerned.

Kanoongo said former Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Rajesh Bagha had submitted a complaint detailing how an elderly man questioned the Finance Minister about the government’s failure to control the drug problem. The man reportedly had a family member addicted to drugs.

“The Minister became angry, after which the Punjab Police allegedly mistreated and pressured the elderly man and asked him to apologise. Members of the Aam Aadmi Party had also pressured him, leading to his suicide,” Kanoongo said.

The NHRC member said the commission is seeking information on all angles of the incident within 15 days.

“If a person is forced to commit suicide following pressure for questioning a minister over drugs and substance abuse, there could not be a more blatant violation of human rights,” he said.