Punjab government offers Rs 2 crore to family of slain activist
The family of Parvinder Singh Jhota agreed to his cremation after a meeting with state representatives in Mansa.
The family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota agreed to his postmortem and cremation on Wednesday evening, ending a 22-day agitation, according to The Telegraph India.
The decision followed a five-hour meeting in Mansa between the family, a joint action committee, and government representatives, including Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian.
Under the agreement, the state government will provide Rs 2 crore in compensation to the Jhota family and a job to his wife. The government also promised Rs 50 lakh and employment to a relative of Daljit Singh of Bhamme Kalan, who died on October 27.
The state has also agreed to release protester Lakha Sidhana and others once the cases against them are withdrawn. Consequently, the action committee decided to cancel its planned protest at the chief minister's residence on November 5.
Jhota was shot dead on October 13 inside a medical store in Mansa while hosting a Facebook Live session. Store owner Ashwani Kumar allegedly opened fire after Jhota questioned him about selling addictive drugs to an elderly man. Kumar was taken into custody in Salasar, Rajasthan.
The Punjab government has handed the probe into the death to the CBI and suspended a drug inspector, a deputy superintendent of police, and an SHO. The joint action committee had previously demanded the resignations of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.