Overview
- Sonu, 32, died Tuesday at Amritsar’s government medical college after a transfer from Sultanpur Lodhi, with acute liver failure and HIV reported by relatives and doctors.
- His mother’s weekend plea and a neighborhood protest over open “chitta” sales near the local police station prompted police attention and a hospital referral.
- AAP leader Baltej Pannu and Kapurthala police dispute the family’s account of four earlier drug deaths, saying the losses spanned about eight years and included an overdose, burn injuries, a death in jail, and suspected liver failure.
- Officials say Sonu had a case under the NDPS narcotics law, was convicted on November 29, 2025, enrolled in OOAT, a medication-assisted outpatient program, on March 30, and was then sent to Amritsar for specialized care.
- State leaders cite many NDPS cases, arrests, and de-addiction enrollments in Kapurthala, while residents in Pandori Mohalla say drugs remain easy to buy and call for stronger action.