Chandigarh, Oct. 14 -- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday vowed the strictest punishment for those involved in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh alias Jhota, as tensions simmered in Mansa town following the daylight killing that triggered protests, vandalism and demolition of the accused's house by authorities.
Reiterating his government's zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking, the chief minister appealed to the people of Punjab to maintain peace. Describing the killing as an unfortunate incident, CM Mann said he had directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to investigate any lapses at every level and asserted that anyone found behind a conspiracy in the case would not be spared. "An unfortunate incident has taken place in Mansa in which social worker Parvinder Singh Jhota has been shot dead. In this matter, I want to make it clear that Punjab Police will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the strictest punishment to culprits," Mann said in a video message. "If there is anybody behind any conspiracy in this matter, that will also not be spared," he said.
Mann said the incident should not have happened and that he had issued strict directions to the DGP to inquire into any shortcomings at any level. "The AAP government has a zero tolerance towards those who sell drugs. I want to appeal to people of Punjab to maintain peace," he said. Jhota, who was known for raising his voice against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, was shot dead in broad daylight in a busy marketplace in Punjab's Mansa town on Tuesday. According to the allegations, medical store owner Ashwani Kumar opened fire on Jhota and his companions after they questioned him for allegedly selling addictive drugs to an elderly man.
Ashwani has been arrested in Rajasthan, police said. The shooting left the town simmering with tension, with the district authorities in Mansa demolishing a portion of the house belonging to Kumar on Wednesday, Jhota's supporters vandalising the medical shop and his family refusing to cremate his body in protest. Police had also arrested an associate of Kumar on Tuesday for allegedly helping him escape. The killing drew widespread condemnation from opposition leaders, who criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the law-and-order situation in Punjab and alleged that "jungle raj" prevailed in the state.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.