Chandigarh, Oct 20 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday visited Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, bordering Pakistan, to meet the family of Vikramjeet Singh, who was allegedly killed after opposing drug trafficking.  The Home Minister spent around 15 minutes with the family. The family, it is learnt, handed him a list of demands, comprising a fair probe, a government job and financial aid. The visit is part of HM Shah’s tour of Punjab to meet the families of three individuals whose deaths have drawn attention to the state’s drug menace. The other planned meetings are with the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa and the family of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur.

Vikramjeet Singh was allegedly shot dead on October 15 in the Mari Pannwan village area under Hargobindpur Sahib in Gurdaspur district. The incident reportedly occurred in he context of opposition to drug sales. HM Shah’s visit comes amid growing public concern over drug-related violence and demands for stronger action against those involved in narcotics trafficking. The Union Home Ministry has also sought detailed reports from the Punjab government regarding the recent deaths.

During his Punjab visit, HM Shah is also scheduled to attend Dussehra celebrations at Daresi Ground in Ludhiana, where the anti-drug message is expected to feature prominently. The meeting with Vikramjeet Singh’s family is part of the Centre’s engagement with families affected by drug-related violence in Punjab. Ahead of the day-long visit of Home Minister Shah, the AAP government reiterated its support for the family of Parminder Singh Jhota, who has been fighting against drug abuse, and announced that his case will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in response to the family’s demand.

“We stand firmly with the father and family of Parminder Singh Jhota, who has been fighting against drugs. Respecting the family’s demand, we are handing over the case to the CBI,” the Chief Minister wrote on X. Responding to the state government’s decision, former state BJP President Sunil Jakhar said the government took way too long in issuing the CBI order. “The Punjab government has finally been forced to bow before public outrage and hand over the investigation of Parvinder Singh Jhota's murder to the CBI. But this is not just one case. Under the patronage of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, there have been numerous such incidents where drug traffickers have murdered people for raising their voices against drugs or forced them to commit suicide,” Jakhar wrote on X.

“We request the honorable Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji, who is on a visit to Punjab, that now when the CBI investigation begins, it should be conducted on a broader scale and completed within a stipulated timeframe to expose the entire nexus behind it, so that the victims can get complete justice,” he added.

--IANS