Rs 2 crore, govt job for Jhota's wife as Punjab reaches deal; post-mortem on Nov 6
The Punjab government has agreed to provide Rs 2 crore in compensation and a government job to the wife of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead in Mansa last month. The decision is part of an agreement reached with the Justice Committee, under which his post-mortem will be conducted on November 6, followed by his last rites.
Jhota, who had been raising the issue of rampant drug abuse in Punjab, was shot dead after he went to a pharmacy to question its owner over an alleged illegal drug purchase. The incident was captured on camera. The accused, medical store owner Ashwani Kumar, was arrested a day later from Rajasthan's Salasar.
A week after the killing, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the investigation would be transferred to the CBI following a demand from Jhotta's family. Union Home Minister Amit Shah later visited Jhota's residence and vowed that the CBI would hunt down those responsible for the murder “even in Pataal Lok (hell)."
The latest decision is part of an agreement reached between the Punjab government and the Justice Committee over the murder. Under the agreement, Jhota's post-mortem will be conducted on November 6, after which his last rites will be performed.
The cases registered against Jhota's father and members of the Anti-Drug Task Force team will also be withdrawn. It has further been agreed that cases related to the tearing of flex banners across Punjab will be withdrawn.
The family of a young man who died during a protest in Ludhiana will receive compensation of Rs 20 lakh.
The government will install a statue of Jhota in Mansa. A trauma centre will also be built in his name in Khiala village of Mansa district, with the government expected to grant approval soon.
Another key condition of the agreement is that Lakha Sidhana and Mohneet Sheron will be released before Jhota's post-mortem.
Meanwhile, the planned gherao of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence in Sangrur on November 5 has been put on hold.
The agreement also provides for a government job at the Mansa Deputy Commissioner's office and compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the wife of Daljit Singh, who died in Bhamme Kalan village.- Ends
Kamaljit Sandhu is an award winning journalist working as Deputy Editor in India Today. She has nearly two decades of experience as a full time TV journalist. She covers "conflict" regions, Internal security matters, MEA and Parliament. Her work has often led to crisscrossing the country. She has also traveled to Pakistan and Iran, in pursuit of news stories. In 2019, she received the ENBA Award for best news programming for her ground report on "surviving Bastar" which was based on the government's policy on inducting tribals in Crpf in chattisgarh to counter naxals.
Personal interests: Kamaljit likes travelling, interior decoration and playing scrabble, Has varied interests in sporting activities like swimming, badminton and Yoga.
