A family in Gazipur village near Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district has lost its second son to alleged drug abuse within the past seven months, highlighting the persistent drug menace in Punjab. The incident comes just weeks after another family in Sultanpur Lodhi lost its fifth son to drugs.
Incident Details
Twenty-year-old Baljit Singh was found dead on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. His parents revealed that their elder son, Gagandeep, had died due to drug abuse in September last year, while Baljit was also battling addiction. The distraught father, Lakhwinder Singh Lakha, appealed, "Both my sons have died because of drugs. Please stop this menace so no more families lose their children in Punjab."
According to Lakha, Baljit left home on Friday evening and did not return. "We kept searching for him through the night. On Saturday morning, we approached the Mothanwal police post, where we were told a young man's body had been found. When we reached there, it turned out to be our son," he said.
Mother's Account
Baljit's mother, Rajji, said her son had taken Rs 200 from her, saying he was going for a haircut. "He never came back. We couldn't sleep all night. In the morning, I went with my nephews towards Lattianwal village, which is infamous for drug supply. That's when we learnt he had died," she said, breaking down. She added that while the family had hoped to improve their modest living conditions as their sons grew older, both had succumbed to addiction.
Police Investigation
Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora said the death appeared to be drug-related. "A syringe was found near the body. It was sent for testing, but the lab reported that no drug residue was detected in it," he said. Police said the body was recovered near village Sencha, close to Lattianwal.
Previous Incidents
Earlier, on the night of April 7 and the following day, residents of Talwandi Madho village had confronted suspected drug peddlers and addicts traveling to and from Lattianwal. Videos recorded by locals purportedly showed youths admitting to sourcing chitta from the village. On April 8, police carried out a joint operation, following which more than 25 addicts were admitted to the Sultanpur Lodhi de-addiction centre. One peddler and three addict-cum-peddlers were booked by Shahkot police.
