Anti-drug activist’s killer arrested; house, shop bulldozed; Punjab bandh today

MANSA: Medical store owner Ashwani Kumar, who gunned down anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa on Tuesday, has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.The administration bulldozed ‘illegally constructed' sections of his house and shop but it did nothing to ease the anger raging in the region. Protesters have called a Punjab bandh on Friday — with all opposition parties and farmer groups backing it.The details of Kumar’s arrest seem shrouded in secrecy. All day, news channels reported that he was caught in Rajasthan’s Salasar (over 300 km from Mansa), but when TOI asked Bathinda DIG Harjit Singh, he said Kumar was arrested “somewhere in Punjab”. Reports about his arrest from Rajasthan weren’t true, he said, but didn’t give out any further information.Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday condemned the murder and said: “I have directed the DGP to ensure a thorough investigation so that the truth comes out and everyone involved in this crime is identified. The main accused has been arrested within 24 hours. If the probe reveals the involvement of any other individual or organisation in a conspiracy behind this murder, they will not be spared.”Jhota’s supporters and Mansa locals are seething. Hundreds of them blocked Mansa-Sirsa road even as political functionaries made a beeline for the town to lend support to the protest. There was heavy police deployment on Wednesday and opposition parties said many of their functionaries were stopped from reaching Mansa.Jhota’s ex-Serviceman father, Bhim Singh, warned that he would drive to nakas on his motorbike and personally bring activists to town if police tried to stop them. If anything untoward happens, police would be responsible for it, he said. Jhota’s family continued to decline to perform the last rites till justice was delivered. If Mansa observes a bandh on Thursday, it would mean three days of shutdown.Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh, former PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, former Congress chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, former SAD MP Simranjit Singh Mann, SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar and Akali Dal Waris Punjab De MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa were among a large number of political activists who addressed the protesters and pledged support to the fight for justice.Members of Nihang Singh and Sikh organisations, farmer groups, youth and student organisations stood shoulder to shoulder with members of Left-leaning organisations. Waris Punjab De alleged that its senior functionaries were put under house arrest or detained at different places to stop them from reaching Mansa.The protesters resolved to make Punjab bandh call successful and reiterated their demand to remove Punjab DGP from his post.Even as protests continued, the district administration demolished parts of the home and shop of accused Ashwani Kumar. Bathinda DIG Harjit Singh said as per a district administration report, some illegal encroachments were noticed and removed. It was the protesters who completely razed the shop and a better part of the home, said police. Mansa deputy commissioner Navjot Kaur was not available for comment.The bulldozing was questioned by several residents, including Jhota’s supporters. The alleged encroachments or illegal constructions had stood for decades, so why was it now that the administration suddenly discovered them, they asked, arguing that it was akin to punishing Kumar’s family members for his crime.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.