Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday modified its previous directive and permitted the family of 35-year-old Daljit Singh to perform his last rites at his native village, Bhamme Kalan, in Mansa district on Thursday.
Senior advocate and Punjab government counsel Chanchal Singla confirmed that the court allowed the relocation of the cremation venue following a fresh application by Daljit’s wife and mother, who said that Tuesday’s order restricting the rites to Chandigarh was passed without impleading them as parties.
The court ruled that the cremation will take place in Mansa strictly in the presence of immediate family members.
Earlier in the day, Daljit’s father arrived at the Advanced Autopsy Centre at Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER)—where the body had been brought around 2am on Wednesday—and expressed strong resentment over the initial mandate to conduct the cremation in Chandigarh.
“We want the cremation to happen at our village as per rituals,” he said before leaving for Mansa.
Following verification by Mansa police, a team of doctors conducted the fresh autopsy between 11.30am and 1.40pm. Deputy superintendent of police (Sardulgarh) Harvinder Singh Sarahan said that further legal action will depend on the autopsy findings.
The legal proceedings stem from a petition filed by Daljit’s sister, Amarjeet Kaur, 38, who sought a CBI probe, protection from local police, and a PGIMER autopsy. She alleged that Daljit died of a drug overdose due to the widespread narcotics menace in the region, and that police committed atrocities against residents planning a peaceful rally with the body.
However, the state counsel informed the court that an initial post-mortem revealed assault injuries. Police have registered a murder case, alleging the deceased was beaten up by an acquaintance before his body was recovered from a field near Ramananda village on October 29.
Taking note of the conflicting versions surrounding the death and the law-and-order situation in Mansa, justice Sanjay Vashisth on Tuesday ordered a fresh post-mortem at Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, conducted on Wednesday.
The court reiterated that the mortal remains of a deceased individual cannot be used by any party to undermine dignity or disturb public peace. It barred political parties, politicians, and outside organisations from participating in or interfering with the final rites, directing the police chiefs of Punjab and Chandigarh to provide security and prevent any disturbance during the transfer and cremation.