The family of 35-year-old Daljit Singh, whose death in Mansa triggered protests across Punjab, has withdrawn its earlier statements and requested permission from the authorities to perform his last rites.
In the latest development on Friday, the family said it had been misled into taking Daljit's body to the protest site. They also acknowledged that the police had arrested three accused in connection with his death.
"Our demand was simply the arrest of the culprits," the family said, adding that they now wanted to perform the last rites of their son.
Daljit, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village in Mansa district, was found dead in a field near Ramananda village on Tuesday morning. His death triggered controversy after his family initially alleged that he had died due to drug overdose and questioned the availability of narcotics in villages across the region.
The situation escalated when the police took custody of Daljit's body on Tuesday evening as his family and supporters were taking it towards Mansa to join a protest seeking justice for anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, alias Jhota, who was shot dead on October 13.
The police subsequently shifted the body to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, where a post-mortem examination was conducted on Wednesday. Officials stated that the exact cause of death would be established after the viscera examination report.
Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary had earlier confirmed that a murder case was registered against three persons, identified as Mandeep Singh, Gurvinder Singh and another Mandeep Singh, all residents of Ramananda village. The accused were taken into police custody.
According to the SSP, the case was registered following a complaint by Daljit's father, Jarnail Singh. The complaint alleged that Daljit was previously friends with the accused but had developed strained relations with them.
The police action had triggered protests across Punjab, with the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) organising demonstrations outside police stations in 13 districts. Political leaders and activists had also criticised the seizure of the body.
The latest statement from the family marks a change in its earlier position, as it has now requested permission to perform Daljit's last rites after acknowledging the arrests made by the police.