Mansa's Daljit Singh death case: High Court orders post-mortem at PGI, bars politicians from cremation
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered a second post-mortem of Mansa youth Daljit Singh at PGI, Chandigarh. It has also directed that his cremation be held under police arrangement, with only his family and close ones present.
Daljit Singh’s body will be handed over to PGI within 15 hours. The post-mortem report will be submitted to the High Court the day after tomorrow, at 1:45 pm.
During the hearing, the HC asked the Punjab Government why the police had taken the body away from the family and what it had gained by doing so.
The state’s lawyer told the court that the matter was linked to the killing of Parvinder Singh Jhota. After his murder, a sit-in was held in Mansa and the probe was handed to the CBI on the protesters’ demand. The protest, however, continued.
The lawyer said Daljit Singh’s body was being taken to the same protest site after his death. Bhana Sidhu, Lakha Sidhana and a large number of other protesters were already there and the state feared trouble. That, the government said, was why it stepped in.
The government also showed the court the post-mortem report from AIIMS Bathinda, which noted injuries on the body.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court asked whether these injuries were caused before or after death. To answer all such questions, it said, it would be better to have a post-mortem at PGI as well, provided all parties agreed. The court also observed that every dead body has the right to a dignified last rite.
The court ordered that a post-mortem of Daljit Singh would be done at PGI, Chandigarh. The DGPs of Punjab and Chandigarh must arrange the cremation at Sector 25, Chandigarh, after the post-mortem. Only his family and close ones may attend.
No politician is to be present, and no one else is to be allowed at the site.
Daljit Singh, 35, was from Bhamme Kalan village in Mansa district. His family said he used drugs and died because of them. They also alleged that the police forcibly took his body when it was being moved for the protest. The police had earlier stopped the family from taking the body to the anti-drug protest in Mansa and said they were investigating the death as murder. The National Human Rights Commission has also taken cognisance of the death and the allegations about police action and the detention of protesters.
Also Read | Harsimrat Badal says post-mortem confirms drug overdose in Daljit’s death, demands report be made public
Also Read | Mansa Daljit Singh death: NHRC seeks report from Punjab govt, DGP within two weeks
- PTC NEWS
