Amritsar: The death of a young man in police custody has ignited a major controversy in Amritsar’s Ranjit Avenue following his arrest at the home of the late DM Gagandeep Singh Randhawa. Gurbaksh Singh had been taken into custody in connection with a case involving the cutting of electricity wires at the prominent residence. The incident has left the deceased’s family in a state of deep grief, leading to grave allegations of physical assault and systemic negligence against the local police department during his period of remand.
According to official reports, the police had secured a five-day remand for two suspects in the vandalism case at the late official’s property. During this timeframe, Gurbaksh Singh’s health reportedly deteriorated significantly, resulting in his death. His family members allege that the youth was subjected to “merciless beating” by officers during his interrogation. They further claimed that despite their repeated pleas to provide him with adequate medical care or move him to a private hospital for treatment, their requests were entirely ignored by the authorities.
The family has also raised serious concerns regarding the transparency of the police response, alleging that they were not informed of the youth’s worsening condition or his passing in a timely manner. They maintain that Gurbaksh had complained of severe pain while in custody and believe the police attempted to hide the facts surrounding the tragedy. The perceived lack of immediate medical intervention has become a central point of the family’s demand for a high-level judicial inquiry.
In contrast, Ranjit Avenue SHO Robin Hans stated that the youth was provided with medical attention as soon as his health declined and was subsequently transported to a hospital, where he passed away during treatment. The police department has confirmed that a formal investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause of death. Officials emphasized that the truth of the matter will only be revealed once the inquiry and post-mortem reports are finalized, as they look to address the serious claims of custodial violence.
