Sangrur: The family of Dalit labourer Gulzar Singh — who died by suicide after allegedly being harassed for publicly questioning finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on the unchecked sale of drugs in his village — on Thursday alleged that he was cremated without their consent.Gulzar’s son, Lakhwinder Singh, alleged that the district administration carried out his father’s last rites without the family’s approval and did not allow him to see his father’s face one last time. “Govt forcibly carried out the last rites. They told us they would provide a job and other things, but we received nothing. Police pressure was immense — it was the district police. It happened without our consent,” Lakhwinder said.The family has vowed not to perform the Bhog ceremony until Cheema is named in the FIR and arrested.Sangrur deputy commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur, however, said that the family “expressed satisfaction” with the administration’s response, and mentioned that ₹5 lakh ex gratia compensation had already been disbursed and a govt job assured.Earlier in the day, National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Kishor Makwana visited Toor Banjara village and flagged an “atmosphere of fear” tied to the drug trade among Dalit youth.A political firestorm has engulfed Punjab over the suicide. A convoy carrying Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, party national vice-president Manpreet Singh Badal and former state presidents Sunil Jakhar and Ashwani Sharma, was allegedly surrounded by AAP workers near Toor Banjara when they were on their way to offer condolences to the family. Dhillon called it a “brazen assault on democracy”.Sangrur BJP district president Daman Bajwa said no vehicles were damaged in the incident but alleged that AAP workers struck the vehicles with their fists, while police personnel stationed roughly 100 metres away did not intervene and “turned mute spectators”.Dhillon and general secretary Parminder Singh Brar backed the family’s account and reiterated the demand for a CBI probe. Calling it a case of “abuse of power and denial of basic dignity”, they demanded Cheema’s resignation.AAP Dirba in charge Pritam Singh Peetu Sarpanch refuted the allegations and said he, along with party workers, had only protested against BJP and Congress leaders for politicising Gulzar’s death. He said none of the BJP vehicles were attacked, and that AAP workers were only carrying banners.Former Congress CM Charanjit Singh Channi and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira sought accountability from state govt on the cremation. Senior Congress functionary Vijay Inder Singla accused the AAP leadership of shielding Cheema.Bholath Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira termed the alleged forced cremation an abuse of state power and demanded Cheema’s dismissal, criminal cases against him and the executive magistrates involved, and Rs 2 crore compensation for the family.4 of 5 Accused ArrestedPolice have registered a case against five residents of Toor Banjara — sarpanch Baljinder Kaur, her husband Baljeet Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Vicky Singh and Gona Singh — under BNS Section 108 for abetment of suicide and under Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Apart from the Sukhdev, the others have been arrested.Medical sources indicate several hours were lost after Gulzar took poison as he was moved between Sangrur Civil Hospital, Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, a private facility in Sangrur and finally DMC Ludhiana before he died.
