Punjab: Fazilka man dies in ‘police custody’, kin block highway
The protest at Lamochar Kalan village, located 25 km away from Fazilka, began around 8 am. The protesters blocked both sides of the highway. The blockade triggered a traffic jam, stretching several kilometres.
A 19-year-old man died allegedly in police custody in Jalalabad of Fazilka district on Thursday night, triggering a protest by family members and residents of Lamochar Kalan village who placed the body on the Ferozepur-Fazilka highway and demanded a strict action against the officials concerned. The traffic remained blocked on the road till the filing of the report.
The deceased has been identified as Sajan of Lamochhar Kalan village. His family said he went with his friend Akashdeep of Bhamba Vattu village to fetch sand Thursday night. “Mining officials, along with cops, intercepted them with their tractor-trolley and took them to the Ghubaya police post. Sajan was stripped and mercilessly beaten up, resulting in his death,” his family alleged.
Akashdeep, who joined the protest, claimed that police thrashed Sajan so brutally that he collapsed unconscious. He alleged that the police later dumped Sajan’s body near Bhamba Vattu bus stand and abandoned him as well.
The protest at Lamochar Kalan village, located 25 km away from Fazilka, began around 8 am. The protesters blocked both sides of the highway. The blockade triggered a traffic jam, stretching several kilometres.
Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubbaya reached the spot and assured them of justice. Police officials also tried to pacify the protesters, but they refused, demanding immediate suspension of mining officials and Ghubaya police post staff, along with registration of a murder case.
Fazilka senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh said necessary action would be taken. “No family member of the deceased had recorded a statement so far. We will take action based on post-mortem report,” he said, adding that DSPs from Jalalabad and Fazilka had been deputed to maintain law and order.
