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Amritsar: Suspicion and outrage gripped the Jandiala Guru area on Sunday after a youth died under mysterious circumstances in policecustody, triggering strong protests by his family members, who alleged that he was subjected to police torture.

The deceased has been identified as Harman Singh, who, according to the family, was picked up by the Jandiala Guru police on Saturday evening for questioning following a village-level quarrel. He reportedly died in custody on Sunday morning. Police officials claimed that Harman’s condition suddenly deteriorated, following which he was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

Family Rejects Police Version, Alleges Custodial Torture

The family, however, categorically rejected the police version, asserting that Harman was perfectly healthy when taken from his residence. Balwinder Kaur, the mother of the deceased, said that Harman’s paternal uncle had met him at the police station late Saturday night and found him to be regular and stable at the time. “When we went to the police station this morning to give him tea, we were told that he had suddenly fallen ill and had been taken to hospital. A few hours later, we were informed of his death,” she said, alleging foul play. Holding the police responsible for her son’s death, Balwinder Kaur accused the personnel of brutal torture inside the lock-up.

Angry Protest, GT Road Blocked

Soon after the incident, angry family members and local residents blocked traffic on the main GT Road, raising slogans against the Punjab Police and demanding strict action against those responsible. The protest led to traffic disruption for a considerable time before the police intervened and assured the family of a fair probe.

Police Order Inquiry, Await Postmortem Report

DSP Ravinder Singh said that the exact cause of death will be known only after the postmortem examination. He confirmed that an internal inquiry has been initiated into the circumstances leading to Harman Singh’s death. “We are awaiting the autopsy report. Appropriate action will be taken based on its findings,” the DSP said. The incident has once again raised serious questions over custodial safety in Punjab, with the victim’s family demanding an independent investigation and criminal action against the erring officials.