Traffic across Ludhiana remained disrupted for nearly six hours on Monday after Nihang organisations blocked Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road outside the office of police commissioner Swapan Sharma, demanding a CBI probe into the 2023 death of Raghbir Singh.Vehicles caught in the traffic jam on Ferozepur Road in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)The protesters alleged police inaction in the case and rejected the findings of the investigation, maintaining that the 28-year-old gatka player, a traditional martial art associated with Sikhism, was murdered.The victim’s father, Jagjit Singh, has demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), claiming the circumstances surrounding his death pointed to foul play despite the autopsy report concluding that it was a natural death.Raghbir, a Nihang and resident of Ballowal village, went missing on October 5, 2023. His decomposed body was recovered three days later from a vacant plot on Pakhowal Road. While his family has consistently alleged murder, the police said repeated investigations failed to establish any evidence of homicide.Police officials said the Sadar police had initially registered a murder case on the complaint of the victim’s father. However, the post-mortem examination, forensic reports and a subsequent probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted in September 2025 and headed by senior police officers, all concluded that the death was natural.Station house officer Jagdeep Singh Dhaliwal of Sadar police station said, “Medical experts had opined that both the hands of the victim were likely eaten by animals after death and that no forensic evidence suggested murder.”As the blockade continued, senior police officers, including assistant commissioner of police (ACP) (Civil Lines) Sarabjit Singh Cheema, held talks with the protesters and the victim’s family. “The family is demanding a CBI inquiry. We have advised them to approach the court, which has the authority to order a CBI probe.”The protesters called off the agitation after receiving assurances from the administration.The blockade, which lasted from around 11 am to 5 pm, triggered massive traffic snarls on one of the city’s busiest stretches, leaving commuters stranded for hours.Rajesh Kumar, a businessman from Model Town, said, “I was travelling to Industrial Area for a business meeting and got stuck in traffic for nearly two hours. The entire city seemed paralysed. While everyone has the right to protest, blocking major roads causes immense hardship to citizens who have nothing to do with the dispute.”Manpreet Kaur, a resident of Sarabha Nagar, said, “My elderly mother had a doctor’s appointment in Christian Medical College and Hospital, but we remained trapped in traffic for over an hour. The roads were gridclocked due to diversions. Such protests should not come at the cost of public convenience.”On Sunday, Nihang organisations had also blocked the National Highway near Ladhowal Toll Plaza for nearly two hours, demanding the arrest of a social media influencer accused of hurting Sikh religious sentiments, leading to traffic disruption on the highway.