Mystery shrouds death of 3 residents in village

Our Correspondent

Phillaur, April 22

After the mysterious deaths of three residents during the past two days in nearby Gannapind village, which was adopted by Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, the ongoing election campaign came to a halt in the village here today.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Chaudhary Vikramjit Singh expressed ignorance about any such deaths due to consumption of poisonous liquor or some other intoxicants, but at the same time Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA from Phillaur Baldev Khaira demanded a high-level probe by a retired High Court judge about the open manufacturing, sale and use of illicit liquor and other intoxicants in the infamous village.

Phillaur Deputy Superintendent of the Police Davinder Singh Attri said no death was reported due to overdose of any intoxicant.

He said deceased Karnail Singh (40) was suffering from AIDS, Gurmail (52) was an asthma patient while Tersem Singh was suffering from TB and kidney problems.

Karnail, father of a girl and two boys, died at his in-laws’ house at Nurmahal on April 20. Gurmail, a rickshaw-puller and the father of four girls and a boy, breathed his last at Gannapind on April 20 while Tersem (55), a labourer and the father of three girls and a boy, died on April 21 in the village. Though Gurmail and Tersem were cremated on Sunday evening, the police have sent the body of Karnail to the local Civil Hospital for the post-mortem examination on Monday evening.

Senior Medical Officer Jatinder Singh said here this evening that the police could not send the required documents even till late this evening to conduct the autopsy of the victim.