Sangrur suicide case: Man allegedly harassed after questioning Harpal Cheema over ‘Chitta’
A political controversy has erupted in Punjab following the alleged suicide of a 47-year-old man in Sangrur, with his family claiming that he was humiliated, subjected to casteist remarks and pressured to apologise after questioning Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the alleged continued supply of ‘chitta’ in his area.
Gulzar Singh, a resident of Dirba village in Sangrur district, died on Monday night after allegedly consuming a poisonous substance, according to his family.
A purported video showing Gulzar in his final moments has circulated widely on social media. In the video, he appears to speak about having questioned Cheema about the availability of drugs in the area. The incident has prompted opposition parties to target the Aam Aadmi Party government and demand accountability from Cheema and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Gulzar's nephew Karanvir Singh alleged that his uncle was taken outside the venue of a September 6 event in the village after raising the issue of drug availability with Cheema. According to Karanvir, some locals subsequently pressured Gulzar to apologise. “We want justice,” he said.
The Punjab Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by an officer of Additional Director General of Police rank, to investigate the circumstances surrounding Gulzar's death.
Following a complaint by the family, police registered a case against five villagers — Baljit Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Vicky Singh, Gona Singh and Baljinder Kaur — under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to abetment of suicide, along with relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Gulzar's son Lakhwinder Singh alleged in his complaint that his father was humiliated and subjected to casteist slurs by the accused when police personnel arrived at their house to question him.
According to the FIR, Baljit Singh allegedly called Gulzar on September 7 and asked him to apologise before a panchayat. The complaint states that Gulzar, unable to bear the alleged humiliation, subsequently consumed a poisonous substance.
Gulzar was initially taken to the Civil Hospital in Sangrur and later shifted to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. He was subsequently brought back to Sangrur and admitted to a hospital before being transferred to a private facility in Ludhiana, where he died on Monday night.
In the purported video circulating online, Gulzar is heard raising concerns about the availability of ‘chitta’, a commonly used term in Punjab for illicit synthetic drugs.
He is also heard saying that his son consumes the substance and alleging that drugs continued to be sold in the area. He reportedly named the village sarpanch while speaking about responsibility for his death. The authenticity and full context of the video will form part of the investigation.
The case has triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that Gulzar was driven to take the extreme step after questioning Cheema about the drug problem and the impact of addiction on his family.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also expressed concern over the incident, alleging that Gulzar faced severe harassment after raising the issue of drugs and his son's addiction.
Several opposition leaders visited Sangrur following the incident, including SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Congress leaders Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Vijay Inder Singla.
Gulzar's cremation took place in Sangrur on Tuesday evening amid heavy police deployment. Security personnel had also been deployed at the hospital during the postmortem examination.
Meanwhile, Lakhwinder Singh said the family had been assured that his brother would be provided a government job. He also told reporters that the family was satisfied with the police action so far.
The formation of the SIT and registration of the case under both the BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are expected to be central to the investigation. The police will have to establish whether the alleged humiliation, pressure to apologise and other circumstances directly contributed to Gulzar's death.
The incident has also renewed political debate over Punjab's continuing struggle with drug abuse, particularly allegations concerning the availability of ‘chitta’ despite repeated government campaigns against the state's drug menace.
with inputs from PTI
