Punjab Police Brutality and Human Rights Violations Escalate Under Bhagwant Mann Government

State-sponsored violence and police highhandedness in Punjab have reached an alarming threshold following the forcible seizure of a deceased youth’s body during peaceful anti-drug protests in Mansa. Allegations of a police-mafia nexus, physical assaults on peaceful demonstrators, and the daylight murder of anti-drug campaigner Parvinder Singh Jhota have sparked widespread outrage across the state. Human rights advocates and opposition leaders are calling for immediate international oversight to protect civil liberties and restore the rule of law in Punjab under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Editor’s Note: This report is published as part of the RMN News Punjab Governance Tracker under the Punjab Elections | RMN Election Hub, providing verified accountability reporting on policy implementation, public grievances, and administrative performance across Punjab.

RMN News Punjab Desk
New Delhi | October 28, 2026

Human Rights Crisis Deepens in Punjab as Police State Suppresses Anti-Drug Movement

Reports of excessive state force and civil liberties violations continue to emerge from Punjab, where the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann faces severe criticism for its handling of public dissent. A dramatic confrontation unfolded in Mansa district on October 27, 2026, when local law enforcement personnel physically intercepted a grieving family and forcibly seized the body of 35-year-old Daljit Singh, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village who died of a suspected drug overdose.

Forcible Seizure of Deceased Youth in Mansa

Daljit Singh, a married father of two and the sole breadwinner for his family, had been struggling with drug addiction before his body was discovered in fields near Ramanandi. As his family members and fellow villagers attempted to transport his remains to an ongoing protest site in Mansa, police authorities blocked their passage at Ramditte Wala Chowk using parked trucks and official vehicles.

Witnesses and family members reported that officers executed a lathicharge against the peaceful gathering, forcibly taking Daljit Singh’s body into custody and detaining several demonstrators. Opposition leaders described the action as a grave violation of human dignity and an assault on a family’s fundamental right to mourn. Although Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Chaudhary maintained that the body was taken for a post-mortem examination to prevent law and order disruptions, the incident triggered intense political backlash over police conduct.

Systemic Police-Mafia Nexus and Anti-Drug Protests

The unrest in Mansa is tied to broader anger surrounding the brazen daylight murder of prominent anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota on October 13, 2026. Anti-drug campaigners, social activists, and family members argue that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav have failed to curb the rampant illicit drug trade across the state. Protesters allege that a collusion between state police elements and drug syndicates actively protects narcotics dealers while punishing citizens who organize against the crisis.

To suppress public grievances, state authorities have repeatedly deployed heavy-handed tactics against peaceful gatherings of farmers, government employees, journalists, and community organizers. Political leaders across party lines highlighted severe instances of physical abuse during the Mansa crackdowns, including officers forcibly removing religious turbans and dragging young citizens along the streets by their hair.

An Urgent Appeal to International Human Rights Organizations

The deteriorating governance in Punjab presents a clear threat to democratic freedoms and basic human rights. What was promised as progressive administration under the Aam Aadmi Party has increasingly transformed into an unchecked police state where peaceful assembly is met with violence and state intimidation.

RMN News issues a formal appeal to global bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, to closely monitor the situation in Punjab. International intervention and independent fact-finding missions are urgently needed to investigate police excesses, safeguard human rights activists, and protect vulnerable citizens from state-sanctioned violence under the current administration.

Photos: Screengrabs from social media videos dated October 27, 2026