Tension gripped Mansa again on Tuesday after a 35-year-old marginal farmer, Daljit Singh, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village in the Sardulgarh Assembly segment, was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Ramanandi village road on Tuesday morning. The incident triggered protests by his family and supporters of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.The family initially blocked the Mansa-Sirsa road by placing the body on the road in their village before heading towards Mansa, alleging that he had died of a ‘chitta’ overdose and demanding action against the drug suppliers.A large number of police personnel, however, stopped the procession at Ramdittewala Chowk in Mansa, where trucks had been stationed on the road to block it. This led to a clash and the detention of the protesters, including women and gangster-turned-politician Lakhvir Singh Lakha Sidhana, before the police took the body into custody and moved it to an undisclosed location.A clash between cops and protesters in Mansa on Tuesday. Tribune photoSome Nihangs were standing atop the pickup vehicle during the confrontation but were also overpowered. During the melee, the turbans of some people were removed and they were forcibly bundled into police vehicles.Some Nihangs were standing atop the pickup vehicle during the confrontation in Mansa on Tuesday. Tribune photoDIG, Bathinda Range, Harjeet Singh and Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary were present at the spot.Daljit’s family members and supporters were carrying the body in a pickup vehicle, accompanied by a large number of people, including Nihangs, in other vehicles. Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, was also accompanying the protesters. He alleged that drugs were still available, but at higher prices. Bhim further claimed that doorstep delivery of ‘chitta’ was available near the SSP’s residence.The incident comes amid an ongoing agitation over Jhota’s murder, with a protest near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence at Tinkoni continuing for the past 14 days.Later, the action committee formed to seek justice in Jhota’s murder condemned the police action, calling it a violation of human rights. It appealed to the authorities not to cremate Daljit’s body and questioned the administration’s efforts to tackle drug abuse. “Despite a large number of police personnel being deployed in Mansa district, people are still dying due to drugs,” members of the action committee said, raising questions over the functioning of the police.Meanwhile, SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary said the death appeared to be a murder and that a case was being registered accordingly. “Four people travelling in a white Swift car dumped the body by the roadside and fled. We have detained three people, including the suspected main accused. The exact cause of death will be established after the postmortem examination. Some people had spread misinformation claiming the death was due to a drug overdose, while some mischievous elements attempted to disturb law and order. We contained the situation and maintained law and order. Peaceful protest is the public’s right but strict action will be taken against anyone violating the law. The detained persons have been moved to different locations to prevent further unrest. The body has been taken out of Mansa and the cremation will be performed only by the family. I have met the family and they are satisfied with the police action. An inquiry will be conducted into allegations of misbehaviour by a DSP with the media,” he said.He added that a case of attempt to murder would be registered against those who attacked the police, leaving some cops injured. “Lakha Sidhana is among those detained for attempting to disrupt law and order,” the SSP added.Earlier, Paramjit Kaur, wife of the deceased, said he had been consuming drugs for a long time but had given up the habit around three weeks ago. “He left home this morning on a motorcycle and continued answering my phone calls until around 9.55 am. Later, some people came in a car and dumped his body. His motorcycle has not been recovered. We want action against those who supplied him with ‘chitta’,” she said.Sources said the deceased is survived by a daughter and a son. His father is a retired Class IV employee and the deceased was his parents’ only son.Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the incident, saying, “They only wanted to take his body to the dharna site, vent their anger and plead for action against peddlers. The Punjab Police is waging a war not on drugs, but on the anguished families. This heartless regime has crossed all limits. Punjab will only breathe free once this awful AAP dispensation is ousted.”Earlier in the day, one lane of the Barnala-Sirsa road near the Tinkoni protest site was reopened to traffic in Mansa, providing partial relief to commuters and traders affected by the ongoing blockade. The move followed a request from local traders, who said their businesses were suffering during the festive season. Loudspeakers at the protest site outside the Civil Hospital were also switched off. Meanwhile, tension gripped Mansa town once again. The town had observed a complete shutdown on October 13, 14 and 15 and had also skipped Dussehra celebrations.