The mortal remains of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, whose murder 26 days ago triggered protests and a political row, were consigned to flames at his native place here on Sunday.
The JAC had been pressing for the resignations of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. The state government had suspended a station house officer, a deputy superintendent of police and a drug inspector in connection with the case. The family has been demanding setting up a trauma centre in Jhota’s name and compensation for each of the four injured persons in the incident, which were agreed to by the government. Other demands the government agreed to include installation of Jhota’s statue at either a park or a stadium.
Jhota’s body was brought to PGIMER Chandigarh from the mortuary of Civil Hospital in Mansa in the early hours of Friday, after his family ended their 22-day agitation and agreed to a post-mortem following a meeting with Punjab government representatives on Wednesday (November 4). On the evening of November 5, the JAC members were released from Nabha district jail after a meeting between the protesters and government representatives, including Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on November 4.
The Punjab government had earlier handed over the probe into Jhota’s death to the CBI following his family’s demand.
Opposition slammed the AAP government over alleged drug menace in the state, and several leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress’ Sachin Pilot, Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, visited Jhota’s family here.
