Family of slain activist Parvinder Singh Jhota agrees to autopsy, cremation
The agreement follows a meeting in Mansa that ended a 22-day agitation and included compensation for the family.
The family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota has consented to his postmortem and cremation, according to reports by Deccan Herald and Hindustan Times. This decision follows a meeting on Wednesday evening in Mansa between the family, a joint action committee, and Punjab government representatives.
The meeting included Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. As part of the agreement, the state government will provide Rs 2 crore in compensation to the Jhota family and a government job to his wife.
The government also agreed to release protesters Lakha Sidhana and Mohanjit Singh Shero, who were arrested on October 28, after withdrawing cases against them. Following the breakthrough, the committee leading the agitation agreed 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. He had allegedly confronted the store owner, Ashwani Kumar, regarding the sale of prescription drugs to an elderly man. Kumar was taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan.
The Punjab government has handed the probe over to the CBI. The Speaker stated that the agency will be requested to fast-track the case and that the autopsy is expected to take place at PGIMER in Chandigarh.
Additionally, the government agreed to provide Rs 50 lakh and a job to a family member of Daljit Singh, who died on October 27. To regulate drug sales, the government will require a doctor's prescription for pregabalin capsules starting November 12.