Patiala: Punching holes in the state govt’s claims of a robust anti-drug drive, a 23-year-old youth died of a suspected drug overdose in Achal village near Nabha in Patiala district, barely two days after returning home from a three-month stint at a de-addiction centre.Karanpreet Singh was found dead at a fellow villager’s residence Monday morning. The house owner reportedly fled the scene immediately after the incident.Karanpreet, the only son and primary hope of his family, had completed Class XII and was actively preparing to move abroad. According to his parents, Ranjit Singh and Jaspal Kaur, he fell prey to chitta (heroin) addiction a few months ago due to bad company.Desperate to save him, the family admitted Karanpreet to a rehabilitation facility. He returned home just two days ago, and his parents were hopeful that he would rebuild his life away from narcotics.Jaspal Kaur alleged that chitta was being “sold openly” in their village, which led to her son’s immediate relapse. She claimed that the local police had been informed about the alleged drug peddlers in the past, but a lack of strict intervention ultimately cost her son his life.Medical officials at the Civil Hospital in Nabha, however, stated that the exact cause of death would be confirmed once the post-mortem report is finalised.Gurinder Singh Bal, deputy superintendent of police, Nabha, stated that the police had launched a probe into the matter and an FIR was being registered based on the preliminary facts and the family’s statement.
