Mansa (Gurpreet Singh): The last rites of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota will be performed in his hometown Mansa on Sunday, following the completion of his post-mortem examination at PGIMER, Chandigarh, on Saturday. His body has been handed over to the family after the medical examination, bringing an end to a prolonged wait for the final rites.
Gopal Sidhu, a member of the Insaaf Action Committee, confirmed that the autopsy had been completed and the body would be transported to Mansa from PGIMER at around 5 am on Sunday. According to Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, the family will first take the body to their residence before conducting the cremation between 12 pm and 1 pm on Diwali.
The cremation had initially been planned for Saturday at the family’s fields on Chakerian Road in Mansa. However, it was postponed because the post-mortem could not be conducted on Friday. Officials cited procedural requirements arising from the fact that the body had remained under specific temperature conditions at the Mansa Civil Hospital mortuary for more than 20 days.
Jhota’s body was shifted to PGIMER in the early hours of Friday after his family called off a 22-day protest and agreed to the autopsy. The decision followed discussions between the family, members of the Insaaf Action Committee and Punjab government representatives on Wednesday.
Family renews appeal against drug abuse
Ahead of the cremation, Bhim Singh appealed to the youth of Punjab to take a stand against drug abuse. He also reiterated the family’s demand for action in connection with his son’s killing. On Friday, he had announced plans to begin a hunger strike seeking the immediate transfer of Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Chaudhary.
Jhota was shot dead on October 13 at a medical store in a crowded marketplace in Mansa. The incident took place after he reportedly confronted shopkeeper Ashwini Kumar over the alleged sale of addictive medicines to an elderly customer. Kumar was subsequently arrested.
CBI investigation and government assurances
The killing triggered widespread protests, with Jhota’s family and the Insaaf Action Committee demanding justice and action against officials. The Punjab government later transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a demand from the family.
The state government also suspended a station house officer, a deputy superintendent of police and a drug inspector in connection with the matter. Among the demands accepted by the government were the establishment of a trauma centre in Jhota’s name, compensation for the four people injured in the incident and the installation of his statue at a park or stadium.
Two committee members, Lakhvir Singh and Mohanjit Singh Sheron, had been arrested during the agitation on October 28. They were released from Nabha district jail on Thursday evening following discussions between protesters and government representatives, including Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian.
The committee had also called for the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. The developments surrounding Jhota’s death have continued to draw attention to the family’s demands and the wider campaign against drug abuse in Punjab.
