FEROZEPUR, Oct 2— A wave of grief swept through Lakho ke Behram village on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road after four young men in their mid-twenties died within 48 hours, deaths residents linked to years of drug abuse.
While one youth died on Tuesday, three more passed away on Wednesday, leaving the small community shattered. “It’s a matter of chance and has probably happened for the first time that four youths in the area died back to back, though they belonged to different families and their deaths were not interlinked,” said villager Kulwant Singh. “But tragedy struck over two days.”
The deceased were identified as Sandeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh alias Rajan, Randeep Singh, and Umed Singh alias Umedu. Villagers said all four had struggled with drug dependency and had been in and out of de-addiction centres multiple times. Police, however, noted that at least two of the deceased had been bedridden for months and succumbed to deteriorating health.
According to family members, Ramandeep died Wednesday morning after injecting himself with tablets meant for oral consumption. His father, Bachittar Singh, said his son had fought addiction for years but “finally fell prey to it” despite repeated treatment. His uncle, Paramjit Singh, added: “He had been consuming drugs for nine years, and was admitted to de-addiction centres about 10 times. He had just returned from one in Malout, but again injected himself.”
Umed Singh, villagers recalled, had sold nearly everything he owned to finance his habit and was left impoverished and alone after his wife left him with their child. “He was bedridden for months with no money for treatment,” said his aunt Prakash Kaur. “He lived in pitiable condition.”
Following the deaths, villagers blocked the Ferozepur-Fazilka highway for three hours, keeping the bodies on the road in protest. Families accused seven local medical shops of illegally selling psychotropic drugs. “I lost my son last year due to drugs,” alleged Sukhdeep Kaur, a panchayat member. “Despite police action, these shops still thrive. Many families are reeling under this menace, but nothing concrete is being done.”
Police officials said action was being taken against the pharmacies. “The shops have been closed and the Health Department has been asked to conduct raids,” said Manjit Singh, SP (D). He acknowledged the severity of the problem: “There are chronic addicts trying to quit but failing. We are counseling youths and getting them admitted to de-addiction centres. The supply chain has been broken to some extent, but the peril is deep rooted and will take more time to eradicate.”
Ironically, villagers noted, Lakho ke Behram — with a population of about 4,500 — has no hospital or clinic but seven pharmacies, now under the scanner.
