Punjab Police Coffin Snatching Sparks Outrage

Disappearance of Daljit Singh’s Coffin and Forced Disappearances Expose Growing Police Brutality in Punjab

The forcible seizure of 35-year-old Daljit Singh’s coffin by Punjab Police during an anti-drug demonstration in Mansa has triggered a severe human rights crisis across the state. With several peaceful demonstrators and family members remaining missing following police detentions, state authorities under the Aam Aadmi Party administration face mounting allegations of unchecked police brutality and forced disappearances. Global human rights organizations must urgently intervene to investigate state-sanctioned violence, locate missing individuals, and restore democratic accountability in Punjab.

Raman Media Network Punjab Desk
New Delhi | October 29, 2026

The Disappearance of Daljit Singh’s Coffin and Escalating Forced Disappearances in Punjab

Violent Interception of Funeral Procession in Mansa

A harrowing display of state authority unfolded in Mansa district on October 27, 2026, when heavy contingents of Punjab Police forcefully intercepted a grieving family transporting the body of 35-year-old Daljit Singh. Daljit Singh, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village, married father of two, and the sole breadwinner for his household, died of a suspected drug overdose after struggling with addiction.

As his family and fellow villagers attempted to move his coffin toward an ongoing anti-drug demonstration in Mansa city, law enforcement blocked their path at Ramditte Wala Chowk using heavy trucks and police vans. Witnesses report that officers launched an unprovoked lathicharge against the peaceful gathering, beating demonstrators who attempted to shield the deceased, and forcibly snatching the coffin containing Daljit Singh’s remains before speeding away.

Coffin Seizure and the Crisis of Missing Persons

Days after the confrontation at Ramditte Wala Chowk, the whereabouts of Daljit Singh’s body remain unknown. His family has received no official confirmation regarding the location of his remains. Moreover, a disturbing pattern of forced disappearances has emerged. Daljit Singh’s father, along with dozens of anti-drug campaigners and local citizens detained during the police crackdown, remains missing.

While Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Chaudhary claimed the body was confiscated for a post-mortem examination, law enforcement officers subsequently labeled the death a “murder” without offering supporting evidence, formal documentation, or transparent procedures. Family members and human rights advocates view these actions as a deliberate attempt to conceal state negligence and suppress public mourning.

Systemic Police-Mafia Nexus and Anti-Drug Suppression

The violent incident in Mansa stems from widespread public anger following the brazen daylight murder of prominent anti-drug campaigner Parvinder Singh Jhota on October 13, 2026. Social activists, community leaders, and opposition figures allege that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav have fostered an environment where state police elements actively collude with illicit drug syndicates.

Rather than dismantling narcotics networks that devastate rural communities, the state administration has repeatedly deployed aggressive tactics against citizens demanding accountability. Reports from recent demonstrations highlight severe physical abuse by law enforcement, including officers dragging young protesters along pavements by their hair and forcibly removing religious turbans from Sikh youth.

State-Sanctioned Intimidation and Governance Decay

Under the Aam Aadmi Party government, governance in Punjab has increasingly taken on the characteristics of an unchecked police state. Peaceful assemblies organized by farmers, civil society groups, government workers, and journalists are routinely met with preemptive detentions, physical assaults, and arbitrary custody. The daylight seizure of a deceased citizen’s coffin and the ongoing disappearance of trade activists and grieving family members mark a grave decline in human rights and democratic norms.

Urgent Appeal to International Human Rights Agencies

The escalating state brutality and illegal detentions in Punjab require immediate global scrutiny. RMN News issues an urgent appeal to international bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, to send independent fact-finding delegations to Punjab. Global intervention is vital to compel state authorities to reveal the location of Daljit Singh’s coffin, account for all missing individuals, investigate police highhandedness, and uphold fundamental human rights standards across the region.