Drug-Selling Dispute or Missing Phone? Police and Villagers Differ Over Fatal Clash in Punjab

One person was killed and two others were injured in a violent clash in Maari Pannuana village near Sri Hargobindpur, following a dispute that villagers linked to attempts to stop the sale of drugs. Police, however, denied that the incident was related to drug sales and said the confrontation stemmed from allegations over a missing mobile phone.
 

According to village sarpanch Surinderpal Singh Bajwa, drugs were being sold in the village. He alleged that when Bikramjit Singh, Nishan Singh and Gurmukh Singh objected to the activity, they were attacked with sharp-edged weapons.
 

Bikramjit Singh, 40, died from his injuries, while the other injured men were taken to hospital. Gurmukh Singh was admitted to Bham Hospital.
 

Gurmukh Singh told reporters that some people were selling drugs in their street, making it difficult for women and girls to pass through the area. He alleged that the group attacked them when they objected to the drug sales. He also claimed that some of the alleged attackers were from outside the village.
 

However, Sri Hargobindpur DSP Manoj Kumar rejected the claim that the killing resulted from opposition to drug sales. He said the clash followed accusations between individuals over a missing mobile phone and escalated into a violent confrontation that left one person dead.
 

The DSP also said that drug-related activities in villages had been brought under control to a considerable extent and reiterated that strict action would be taken against drug traffickers.
 

Sri Hargobindpur police station SHO Sukhjinder Singh said the police reached the spot after receiving information about the incident and had launched an investigation. He assured that the accused would be arrested soon and that strict action would follow.
 

The incident comes amid continuing concerns about drug sales in the region. Panchayats in some villages falling under the Sri Hargobindpur Assembly constituency recently passed resolutions against drugs, while local residents and community representatives have repeatedly raised concerns about the sale of narcotics in villages and towns.