LUDHIANA: Another
drug overdose death was reported in the city on Tuesday evening, when a man was found dead inside the washroom of a filling station near
Jalandhar Bypass. This is the third such death in the city in the past 11 days. The police have also found a syringe inserted on the left arm of the deceased, identified as Dharminder Singh (28), a resident of Netaji Nagar of Salem Tabri. The police, on the statement of Dharminder’s father
Charanjit Singh, have booked seven people — including two pharmacists — under charges of
culpable homicide.
According to police, Dharminder was a drug addict for the past two years. In his statement to the police, Charanjit said that his son was working in a hosiery factory as a labourer. Following his addiction, the family took him to a de-addiction centre, and Dharminder was on medication for six months. He also quit his job and would remain home the whole day. “Today, after almost six months, Dharminder stepped out of the house, and even we were surprised. He said he would be back soon. However, we later came to know about his death,” added Charanjit.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP-I) Gurpreet Singh Sikand said: “On Tuesday evening, round 4pm, Dharminder reached a filling station in Salem Tabri, went inside the washroom and locked himself. When he did not come out even after an hour, workers started knocking on the door, but to no
avail. The workers broke open the door and found Dharminder lifeless. A syringe was inserted in his left arm.”
Further, Salem Tabri SHO inspector Vijay Kumar said: “The family has named five friends of Dharminder as Bhindi, Nanu, Jaggu, Tinka, and Toor, with whom Dharminder would take drugs, and two pharmacists —
Dhand and Preet — behind his death. The police have registered an FIR against them under charges of Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to death) of the IPC. The family has alleged that the accused had forced Dharminder to take drugs again.”
Representative image
