Suspected drug-related death: 23-year-old Moga man succumbs at PGI

In a statement to police, his father Darshan Singh said that his son was a drug addict since the age of seventeen. He was admitted to drug de-addiction centre twice, he added. Recently, he was admitted to a drug de-addiction centre at Ganganagar in Rajasthan. It had been just a week that he had come back from de-addiction centre when he fell unconscious on June 28.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Amrit Pal Singh, his cousin, said, “It had been just a week that he had come back from drug de-addiction centre in Rajasthan. Few days he stayed at his sister’s place in Bathinda. It had been just two days that he had come home on June 25. On June 27, he said he was going out to get a haircut and asked for Rs 50. When he came back, he had dinner and slept. On the morning of June 28, he was unconscious and his hands were blue. We have no idea that what he consumed or if he developed complications because of drug de-addiction treatment. But his hands were blue and he was taking drugs since almost six years. Despite treatments, he would fall for them again.”

Father Darshan Singh also told police that several efforts were made to make his son leave drugs. Charan Singh was once a village-level kabaddi player.His father added that he had started taking drugs in company of some other kabaddi players since age of 17. Charan Singh after his first de-addiction treatment was also sent to Dubai for a year by his parents so that he can shun drugs. But after coming back he was again hooked to drugs. Recently, his treatment continued for almost three months at de-addiction centre in Ganganagar.

Malkit Singh, sarpanch of the village, said that family made all the efforts to make him leave drugs but all treatments failed. “Both his sisters are married. His mother used to cry daily and pleaded him to leave drugs. The cremation was done today.”

Sub-Inspector Dilbag Singh, SHO, Nihal Singh Wala police station said, “Father in his statement has said that Charan Singh was a drug addict and was back from de-addiction centre recently.

He was found unconscious on June 28 and taken to hospital. They are unaware if he consumed any drugs a day before when he went out. He had asked for Rs 50 which they gave. After autopsy, his viscera has been sent for chemical examination. Till then inquest proceedings have been filed under section 174 of CrPC as family is unaware whom Charan Singh met or might have taken drugs from on June 27.”