Fazilka: A 17-year-old boy died of suspected drug overdose in a village in Punjab’s border Fazilka district, 14 months after his father allegedly died in similar circumstances. Police detained two suspected drug suppliers after the boy’s mother filed a complaint.The child, whose identity has been withheld as he died a minor, was found dead on a bed in an abandoned house in the village on Wednesday night. Residents alleged that the house was used for selling and consuming ‘chitta’. They said the deceased boy had completed Class X and returned from a de-addiction centre just two days before his death.Villagers said his father’s body was found along a canal. They attributed his death to drug addiction. With the boy’s death, only his mother and grandmother remain in the family.Residents alleged that drugs were easily available in the village and claimed another young man had died of suspected ‘chitta’ overdose about a week ago. They demanded strict action against those involved in drug sales.Fazilka deputy superintendent of police B S Randhawa said a case was being registered on the basis of the statement given by his mother. “Two persons have been detained for allegedly supplying drugs to the boy,” he said, adding that a postmortem examination would be conducted before further action.Police reached the spot after receiving information about the death. An argument broke out between officers and villagers, who were asked to record formal statements. The actual cause of death will be established through investigation and the postmortem examination.
