On one hand, the Punjab government is claiming that ‘war against drugs’ is being waged to eliminate drugs in the state and its second phase is going on in Punjab. On the other hand, in Amritsar, the son of a head constable of Punjab Police has died under suspicious circumstances and the police action on this has raised many questions. This incident has also raised questions on the success of the anti-drug campaign and the functioning of Punjab Police.
Was admitted to drug deaddiction center
On Friday, February 13, 26-year-old Akashdeep of Guru Nanakpura locality under Islamabad police station of Amritsar died. His father Ashok Kumar is a head constable in Punjab Police. According to the father, a day before the incident (February 12), Akashdeep had come after being discharged from the drug de-addiction center. He was a drug addict due to which he was admitted to a drug deaddiction centre.
On the day of the incident, Akashdeep had gone with a friend. The family got information that Akashdeep was lying unconscious in the car. The family brought him home, but after some time his health deteriorated and he was taken to the hospital and died there.
Father had talked about drug overdose
On the day Akashdeep died, his father Ashok Kumar had alleged that his son died due to drug overdose. He said that drugs are easily available in Punjab and the government which is claiming that a campaign against drugs has been launched in the state, is having no impact.
He had said that if the people of Punjab want to save their children from drugs then they should send them out of the state. However, the very next day Amritsar Police shared a video of Ashok Kumar in the media in which he said that whatever he had said, he had said it out of emotions.
‘I became emotional after seeing my son’s dead body’
In the video shared by the police, Ashok Kumar had said that he became emotional after seeing his son’s body and had said a lot against the government which he should not have said. He had said that he did not know how his son died. Amritsar’s Assistant Police Commissioner Jaspal Singh had said in the statement given the next day of the incident that no mark was found on Akashdeep’s body which would show that he had consumed drugs. He said that the family has also refused to take any action in this matter.
Questions are also raised on the functioning of the police in this case because instead of conducting a post-mortem, an attempt was made to find out whether the death was due to drug overdose or not. The police did not conduct post-mortem of the deceased because the family did not give consent for it.