Chandigarh: With the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections approaching, a string of suicide cases and suicide attempts, coupled with allegations of custodial torture against the Punjab Police, has put Sangrur, the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, under intense political and administrative scrutiny. The latest controversy surrounds Sheron resident Mohanjit Singh, who alleges continued police harassment even as an inquiry into his alleged torture remains pending.
The developments have unfolded in Sangrur, the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and have brought together two deeply troubling strands: people taking extreme steps after alleging harassment or threats, and allegations of police excesses against a youth who had protested against the drug menace.
The incidents are separate and there is no evidence establishing a common link between them. However, their proximity in time has raised questions over the handling of complaints and allegations of intimidation in the district.
The sequence began with the alleged custodial torture of Mohanjit Singh of Sheron village, who was detained on September 2 after allegedly displaying a black flag and raising slogans during Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Lok Milni programme at Sheron.
Mohanjit subsequently alleged that he was beaten in custody, subjected to electric shocks and humiliated. The police have denied the allegations and maintained that he was detained as a preventive measure in view of the security arrangements for the Chief Minister’s programme. Police have also cited his antecedents and medical examination conducted during the period of detention.
The allegations led to intervention by the National Human Rights Commission, which sought an action taken report from the Punjab government and directed authorities to preserve CCTV footage, medical records and custody related documents.
The Punjab Police subsequently transferred DSP Harvinder Singh and shifted three other police personnel to the Police Lines. The transfers were described as being on administrative grounds.
The matter then reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Mohanjit’s father, Gurmail Singh, approached the court alleging illegal detention and torture and seeking an independent investigation. On September 12, the High Court sought a detailed report from the DGP on the action taken after the alleged incident and before the constitution of the SIT. The next hearing is scheduled for October 15.
In an affidavit filed before the High Court, the Punjab DGP said the allegations were being examined by a fact finding committee. The state also told the court that four police officials connected with the incident had been transferred. The affidavit cited a medical opinion according to which the possibility of self inflicted injuries or injuries caused by a “friendly hand” could not be ruled out.
Mohanjit, however, says the ordeal has not ended.
At a press conference with his lawyer, Manpreet Singh Namol, Mohanjit alleged that the police are still harassing him by asking him to join the inquiry in Mohali, rather than conducting it in Sheron, where the alleged incident took place.
Namol has said that the legal team will seek advancement of the October 15 hearing and place before the High Court the allegations of continued harassment. He has also questioned the fact that an SIT inquiry is being conducted without an FIR having been registered on Mohanjit’s allegations.
While the Mohanjit case was unfolding, Gulzar Singh, a 50 year old agricultural labourer from Toor Banjara village, died by suicide on September 7 after consuming a poisonous substance.
Gulzar’s death assumed significance because it came shortly after he had raised the issue of the alleged availability of drugs in his village during a programme attended by Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Reports said Gulzar had spoken about the drug problem and its impact on families.
His family subsequently alleged that he faced pressure and harassment. Police registered a case against five people, while an SIT was constituted to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. The case later reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which sought a status report.
The next major incident occurred on September 20, when Jagseer Singh alias Jagga of Namol village attempted suicide outside the Sangrur district administrative complex by allegedly consuming poison.
Jagseer claimed that he had been threatened after posting a video alleging the sale of drugs in his village. He alleged that he was assaulted and harassed after raising the issue and that his complaints had not resulted in action. He was taken to hospital and later shifted to Rajindra Hospital, Patiala.
The police, however, presented a different picture of Jagseer. The Sangrur SSP said he had nine criminal cases registered against him, including cases under the NDPS Act, and had been convicted in four cases. The police response has become part of the political controversy surrounding the suicide attempt.
Then came another death.
On September 26, 23 year old Sanamdeep Singh alias Sunny of Kanoi village died after allegedly consuming a poisonous substance. According to reports, he consumed the substance at his home on September 25 and died during treatment early the following day.
Sanamdeep’s family accused the village sarpanch and his associates of prolonged harassment and threats. The family and villagers staged a protest outside the hospital mortuary, demanding police action. The allegations have been denied, and the circumstances of the death are being investigated.
Thus, within less than three weeks, Sangrur witnessed Gulzar Singh’s suicide on September 7, Jagseer Singh’s suicide attempt on September 20 and Sanamdeep Singh’s death on September 26, while Mohanjit Singh’s allegations of custodial torture arising from the September 2 incident remain before the authorities and the High Court.
The cases have also generated protests in Sangrur. A 21 member Mohanjit Insaaf Sangharsh Committee has been holding protests near the Chief Minister’s residence, demanding action in the alleged custodial torture case and justice for those who have died after raising issues linked to the drug menace.
Mohanjit’s associates have additionally alleged that they were offered money running into crores of rupees to settle the matter. This allegation has not been independently verified and no specific individual has been publicly established as having made such an offer.
The larger question now facing the administration is not whether these separate cases have a single cause. They do not. The question is whether allegations of harassment, police excesses and threats are being addressed swiftly enough when they are brought before the authorities.
For Sangrur, the issue carries added political weight because it is the Chief Minister’s home district. The September 2 custodial torture allegations, the September 7 suicide of Gulzar Singh, the September 20 suicide attempt by Jagseer Singh and the September 26 death of Sanamdeep Singh have placed the district’s police and administrative response under an unusually sharp spotlight.
