The Punjab government agreed to pay Rs 2 crore and provide a job to the wife of activist Parvinder Singh Jhota. This deal ended a 22-day protest in Mansa on Wednesday. The state also promised to drop cases against protesters, allowing the family to finally hold his last rites.
The family of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota has agreed to his post-mortem and cremation after reaching an agreement with the Punjab government, bringing a 22-day-long agitation in Mansa to an end on Wednesday. The breakthrough followed a nearly five-hour meeting between the family, members of the joint action committee leading the protest and government representatives - Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Under the agreement, the state government has assured the family of Rs 2 crore in compensation and a government job for Jhota's wife.
It has also agreed to withdraw cases registered against protesters, paving the way for the release of Lakha Sidhana and others who are currently in jail. The joint action committee, in turn, agreed to suspend its proposed gherao of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence on November 5. The protest had been planned as part of the agitation over Jhota's killing and the family's demands for accountability. The government has also agreed to provide Rs 50 lakh in compensation and a government job to a family member of Daljit Singh of Bhamme Kalan, who died on October 27. The release of Lakha Sidhana and other arrested protesters had emerged as a major point of contention during the negotiations.
Joint action committee member Hardeep Singh Sidhu said the issue remained one of the key sticking points, with discussions continuing for several hours before the agreement was reached, PTI reported. Jhota was shot dead inside a medical store in a busy marketplace in Mansa on October 13. His body had remained at the mortuary of the Civil Hospital in Mansa since the killing, as his family and supporters continued to press for their demands. The postmortem is expected to be conducted at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, after which the body will be handed over to the family for the last rites.
According to PTI, medical store owner Ashwani Kumar allegedly opened fire on Jhota after the activist questioned him over the sale of addictive drugs to an elderly man. Kumar was later taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan. The incident took place while Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live session. His killing triggered widespread protests and a political confrontation in Punjab, which is scheduled to go to polls early next year. Several political leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Sachin Pilot, Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, had met the family after the killing.
The joint action committee, comprising various organisations and social activists, was formed after Jhota's murder. It had demanded compensation for the family, the release of arrested protesters and the withdrawal of cases against them. The committee had also sought the resignations of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. The Punjab government had earlier transferred the investigation into Jhota's death to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), following a demand by his family. It had also suspended a station house officer, a deputy superintendent of police and a drug inspector in connection with the case.
Agriculture Minister Khudian visited Jhota's family on Tuesday evening, becoming the first Aam Aadmi Party leader to meet them and offer condolences.