Drug overdose death in Ludhiana

Victim identified as Balbir Singh of Shatabgarh

It is the second death due to suspected drug overdose in the past three days on April 03, a hospital employee had also died under similar circumstances in Ludhiana's Samrala. 

The victim has been identified as Balbir Singh, 34, of Shatabgarh village. The FIR has been registered on the basis of the statement of Samittar Kaur, mother of the victim. 

In her statement, she mentioned that her son was a drug addict. On Wednesday morning, she said, Balbir had left the house saying that he will return in a few minutes. "When he did not come back home till afternoon, we initiated a search for him," she told the police. 

In the evening, they found Balbir Singh lying unconscious in front of the dera of Renu Mahant. An empty syringe was also found near him, she said, they rushed him to a hospital, where the doctors declared him dead upon arrival. 

Samittar Kaur alleged that her son had died due to overdose of drug administered by Mahant. Samrala deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Harwinder Singh Khaira also reached the spot. 

Machhiwara SHO Vijay Kumar said the FIR has been registered under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC against Renu Mahant. 

304 punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder - whoever commits culpable homicide not amounting to murder shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine, if the act by which the death is caused is done with the intention of causing death, or of causing such bodily injury as is likely to cause death, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, or with fine, or with both.

If the act is done with the knowledge that it is likely to cause death, but without any intension to cause death, or to cause such bodily injury as is likely to cause death. 

Balbir was sent to be de - addiction centres four times, but he used to consume drugs after being discharged, it has been learnt.