20 August, 2026 – Bathinda : At least seven people have died allegedly due to drug consumption in Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, and Ferozepur districts over the past week, highlighting the continuing drug menace in the Malwa region. In Fazilka district alone, three people allegedly died of drug overdose in three days.
In Fazilka district, 25-year-old Pawan Kumar of Danewala Satkosi village in Abohar subdivision allegedly died of a drug overdose on the evening of August 18. Earlier, 20-year-old Karanjit Singh of Tahliwala Bodla village allegedly died of a drug overdose on August 18. Acting on the family’s complaint, the Arniwala police have registered a case against two people and arrested one of them.
Earlier, 42-year-old Sukhjinder Singh alias Kala, a resident of Panjawa village in Abohar subdivision of Fazilka district, died of a suspected drug overdose in the village on August 17. In Bathinda district, two youngsters were found dead at a secluded spot in Bir Talab Basti on August 14, with syringes allegedly found stuck in their arms.
They were identified as 28-year-old Gurvinder Singh of Jaisinghwala village and 25-year-old Kuldeep Singh of Jodhpur Romana village. Their deaths were suspected to have been caused by drug overdose. In Mansa district, 16-year-old Amrik Singh, who worked as a daily wager, allegedly died of a drug overdose in Sardulgarh on August 11. Amrik’s sister, Sonu Kaur, said they were three sisters and one brother.
“Amrik had been addicted to drugs for some time. He had gone out with his friends, and later we received information about his death. We demand strict action against drug peddlers,” she said. Meanwhile, 45-year-old former international-level kabaddi player Gurjeet Singh of Toot village in Ferozepur district died while undergoing treatment at Guru Gobind Singh Government Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, on the night of August 11. Gurjeet, who had earned a name for himself in the sport, had reportedly been battling drug addiction.
A senior police officer said they were registering cases and conducting regular search operations and recovering drugs.
“Besides, we have identified drug hotspots and are taking several corrective measures. Society too needs to play its role, and drug addicts must also be willing to quit the habit. The ongoing ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (war against drugs) is proving successful. Even Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, during his visit to Bathinda, had appreciated this campaign,” he said.
Some residents, however, contested the claim and said that instead of data-driven campaigns, the authorities should take concrete steps to curb the drug menace.
The Tribune