The confrontation stemmed from allegations that police brought Gulzar Singh’s body to the cremation grounds under a heavy security deployment without informing the family or granting them an opportunity to perform customary final rites. Tension erupted at the cremation of 50-year-old Gulzar Singh in Sangrur district after angry family members and local villagers confronted law enforcement authorities.
Vikram Singh, the deceased’s younger brother, confirmed that the family was convinced by official assurances, which included a commitment to provide a government job to a family member. The deadlock was eventually defused after administrative officials held formal talks with the victim’s family. He also clarified that the family had not lodged a direct formal complaint against Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. The controversy surrounding the cremation follows the death by suicide of Gulzar Singh, who reportedly ingested ‘sulphas’ (celphos) poison. Allegations surfaced that Gulzar Singh subsequently faced intense harassment, intimidation, and pressure from local officials to apologise for the confrontation, driving him to take his own life. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring reacted with an X post: “When destruction approaches, those in power lose their sense of right and wrong. What happened to Gulzar Singh is deeply shameful. Punjab Police allegedly carried out his cremation against his family’s wishes and in haste. He was not even allowed to return home one last time, and his family was denied the right to bid him a dignified farewell. Gulzar Singh was denied justice in life, and even in death, his dignity was taken away. This is not just an insult to one family, it is an insult to the humanity of Punjab. Five individuals have been named in an initial First Information Report (FIR) involving charges of abetment to suicide and harassment. Four suspects, including the local village sarpanch and her husband, have been apprehended by police, while one suspect remains at large. To oversee the ongoing investigation, the Punjab government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) alongside senior police officials. In a video recorded prior to his death, Gulzar Singh is learnt to have named Cheema and the local sarpanch.
A resident of Toor Banjara village in minister Cheema’s Dirba assembly constituency, Gulzar Singh had earlier confronted the minister at a village gathering, voicing distress over his son’s drug addiction and raising concerns regarding the unchecked sale of synthetic drugs (“chitta”) in the region. police officials said they are evaluating all recorded material While Opposition political parties have seized upon the video to demand resignations. DSP Davinder Singh Attari said the SIT will thoroughly examine the video statement as part of its mandate.
