ASI on Protest Duty in Budhlada Tests Positive for Drugs, Booked Under NDPS Actਬੁਢਲਾਡਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਡਿਊਟੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਤਾਇਨਾਤ ਏਐੱਸਆਈ ਦਾ ਡੋਪ ਟੈਸਟ ਪਾਜ਼ੇਟਿਵ, ਐਨਡੀਪੀਐੱਸ ਐਕਟ ਤਹਿਤ ਮਾਮਲਾ ਦਰਜ

An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Punjab Police who was on duty at ITI Chowk in Budhlada, in Mansa district, has tested positive for drugs and been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, The Times of India and The Tribune reported on Friday, 30 October 2026. Local residents found the officer, ASI Sehajpreet Singh, in an unstable state near the chowk and confronted him, alleging that he was under the influence of drugs. Senior officers reached the spot and took him for a medical examination, which returned a positive dope test. The incident triggered a protest by residents in a town already on edge over the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.

What did the Mansa SSP confirm?

Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Chaudhary confirmed the positive dope test and the registration of a first information report against the officer, The Times of India reported. The case has been registered under Section 27 of the NDPS Act, 1985, at Budhlada City police station. Section 27 covers consumption of a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. The SSP said Sehajpreet Singh is posted in Mohali and was in Mansa on temporary duty to help manage law and order during the ongoing protests. He added that no drug was recovered from the officer's possession. The Tribune reported that locals blocked a road after the incident, and Daily Jagran reported that protesters accused Budhlada Market Committee chairman Satish Singla of supporting the officer and caused minor damage to his shop. Singla denied any connection with the ASI and demanded strict punishment for him.

How did political leaders react?

Videos of the confrontation circulated on social media and drew sharp reactions from the opposition. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia shared the videos, and Sirsa called the incident a direct insult to Parvinder Singh Jhota's sacrifice, according to reports carried by Times Now and Inshorts. The state government is running its Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign against drugs, and opposition leaders have repeatedly questioned its results since Jhota was shot dead on 13 October. The police have not announced any departmental action against the ASI beyond the criminal case in the reports so far, and the allegation against him will be tested in the investigation and in court.

Why does this land so hard in Mansa?

Budhlada is one of the three sub-divisions of Mansa, the district that has been protesting since 13 October, when Jhota was shot dead during a confrontation at a chemist shop in Mansa town. His family and an Insaaf Committee have kept a sit-in running for more than two weeks, the state has handed the murder probe to the CBI, and on 29 October the government replaced the DSPs of all three Mansa sub-divisions, including Budhlada. A second flashpoint followed the death of Daljit Singh of Bhamme Kalan village on 27 October. For residents who have been demanding action against drug sellers, finding a police officer on protest duty himself testing positive for drugs has deepened anger and distrust, and protesters at the spot demanded strict action.

Who is the ASI booked in Budhlada?

ASI Sehajpreet Singh, an assistant sub-inspector posted in Mohali who was on temporary duty at ITI Chowk in Budhlada, Mansa, according to SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary.

What case has been registered against him?

A case under Section 27 of the NDPS Act, 1985, which covers consumption of narcotic drugs, at Budhlada City police station. The SSP said no drug was recovered from his possession.

What did the dope test show?

The medical examination returned a positive result for drugs, the Mansa SSP confirmed to The Times of India.