Nine days after being arrested by the anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) of Punjab Police, a 26-year old man lodged in Ludhiana Central Jail died under mysterious circumstances, Monday. While the jail staff claimed that he suffered a severe asthma attack and was taken to Civil Hospital for treatment, his family alleged that he was murdered inside jail by a rival group. Identified as Shubham Sidhu alias Ganju of Ambedkar Colony, the 26-year-old was arrested on May 27 along with his two accomplices — Sonu and Dimple — and was sent to jail on May 31. STF had claimed to have recovered 1.60 kg heroin from them. An FIR under Sections 21, 21-C, 27-A and 29 of NDPS Act was registered against him and two others at STF Police station Mohali. Inspector Harbans Singh, incharge of STF Ludhiana unit, said that Shubham had tested positive in the dope test conducted after his arrest. “Earlier, too, he was booked in two cases, including drug peddling and possessing illegal weapons. Tanu Sidhu, brother of the deceased, is also lodged in Ludhiana jail and has five cases pending against him, including four of drug peddling and one for possessing illegal weapons. Even then their parents claimed that both brothers were framed in false cases by police due to 'old rivalry',” Singh said, adding that Shubham and his accomplices procured heroin from one Rahul of Ferozepur and then sell it in Ludhiana. However, father of the deceased Raj Kumar said that the jail staff informed him that Shubham died following illness. “Another resident of their colony is also lodged in the same jail and he nursed an old rivalry against my son. It is possible that beat up Shubham to death. Because, otherwise, Shubham was physically fit,” Kumar said. Meanwhile, alleging that both his sons were framed in false drug cases by the police, the family protested and created ruckus Monday at Civil Hospital when the body was brought for autopsy. Superintendent of Ludhiana central jail Shivraj Singh said that Shubham was an asthma patient and used an inhaler pump. “When he got a severe asthma attack, we immediately shifted him to Civil Hospital but he died their during treatment. It is true that a minor clash took place around 3-4 days ago inside the jail over a girl. However, at that time they did not inform the jail staff and Shubham was fine after that. When we asked Tanu, he said that they deliberately didn't inform the staff,” the office said, adding that a magisterial probe and an internal jail probe has been marked into the incident. Sub-inspector Janak Raj, incharge of Tajpur police post added that autopsy of the body was conducted in the presence of a magistrate. One of the doctors who conducted the autopsy said that no injury marks were found on the body and death was likely related to drug addiction. The viscera has been sent to ascertain the exact cause of death.
