The Punjab Police stopped the family of 35-year-old Daljit Singh from taking his body to an anti-drug protest in Mansa, where demonstrations have been taking place following the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota. Daljit was suspected to have died of a drug overdose. His family demanded the immediate arrest of those allegedly supplying him with drugs. However, the Punjab Police rejected the overdose angle and investigated his death as murder. The family attempted to take Daljit’s body to the ongoing protest site, but police blocked their way and took custody of the body without their consent. The protests in Mansa began following the murder of Parvinder Singh Jhota, an anti-drug activist who was live-streaming when he was killed. Jhota had exposed the illegal sale of addictive synthetic drugs at pharmacies. Punjab’s drug menace has remained a key issue under successive state governments. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Punjab recorded 106 drug overdose deaths in 2024, the second-highest number in the country. The incident has brought attention to the ongoing protests against drug-related issues in Mansa and the demands raised by Daljit Singh’s family following his death.