After 22-day protest, Parvinder Singh Jhota's family agrees to post-mortem, body shifted to PGIMER Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: The body of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was brought to PGIMER in Chandigarh from Mansa on Friday for a post-mortem, after his family agreed to the procedure and called off their 22-day-long agitation following talks with Punjab government representatives.The body, which had been kept at the mortuary of the civil hospital in Mansa for more than three weeks, was shifted to PGIMER in an ambulance late Thursday night.Jhota was shot dead inside a medical store in a busy marketplace in Mansa on October 13.His father, Bhim Singh, told reporters at PGIMER on Friday that the family would return to Mansa with the body after the post-mortem. He said the last rites would be performed on Friday or Saturday, depending on the time they reach Mansa.A joint action committee seeking justice for Jhota had been demanding, among other things, the release of two of its arrested members, including Lakhvir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana. The arrested members were released from Nabha district jail on Thursday evening.The breakthrough came on Wednesday after a five-hour meeting involving Jhota's family, the joint action committee and Punjab government representatives, including Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, following a three-week-long deadlock.After the meeting, the state government agreed to release the arrested protesters and withdraw the cases registered against them. It also assured Rs 2 crore in compensation to Jhota's family and a government job for his wife.On Thursday night, Jhota's body was transported from the civil hospital in Mansa to Chandigarh in an ambulance.According to the case details, medical store owner Ashwani Kumar opened fire at Jhota on October 13 after the latter questioned him for allegedly selling addictive drugs to an elderly man. Kumar was arrested from Salasar in Rajasthan.The incident, which took place while Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live session, triggered a political slugfest 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 (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, had met Jhota's family.Following the murder, opposition parties stepped up their attack on the Bhagwant Mann-led government over drug-related issues and the law and order situation in the state.The joint action committee, comprising various organisations and social activists, had also been demanding the resignations of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Police DGP Gaurav Yadav.Agriculture Minister Khudian visited Jhota's family on Tuesday evening, becoming the first AAP leader to meet the bereaved family.Earlier, the Punjab government had handed over the investigation into Jhota's death to the CBI following a demand by his family. The government had also suspended an SHO, a DSP and a drug inspector in connection with the case.The government also agreed to the family's demands for setting up a trauma centre in Jhota's memory and providing compensation to each of the four people injured in the incident.Other demands accepted by the government include the installation of a statue of Jhota at a suitable location in Mansa.(With Agency Inputs)You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chandigarh | Silver Rate in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh | Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Petrol Price in Chandigarh | Diesel Price in Chandigarh | CNG Price in Chandigarh | LPG Price in ChandigarhStay updated with the latest Chandigarh news. Download the TOI App.