CHANDIGARH: Two days after anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead by a medical store owner in Mansa, authorities on Thursday suspended the woman SHO of City-2 police station with immediate effect and booked two more persons, including the accused’s wife, in connection with the case, officials said.Mansa SSP Vaibhav Choudhary issued the suspension order against SHO Beant Kaur amid demands by Jhota’s family for action against certain police officers, including Kaur.The family continued to refuse to perform his last rites until justice was delivered, news agency PTI reported.Choudhary said a preliminary investigation revealed that the pharmacy licence of the medical store where Jhota was shot was in the name of accused Ashwani Kumar’s wife, Neelam Rani.“Neelam has been booked in the case. We will conduct a transparent investigation in the matter,” the SSP said.Police have registered a case under sections 103 (1) (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), 118 (1) (voluntary causing hurt by dangerous weapon or means), 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant sections of the Arms Act.The case was registered at City-2 police station on the complaint of Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, an ex-serviceman, PTI reported.Jhota, known for raising his voice against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, was shot in broad daylight inside a medical store at a busy marketplace in Mansa on Tuesday.Ashwani Kumar, the store owner who allegedly opened fire on Jhota after he questioned him for selling addictive drugs to an elderly man, was taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan.The incident took place while Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live and triggered a political slugfest in Punjab, which goes to polls early next year.Chief minister Bhagwant Mann has vowed the strictest punishment for those behind the killing, while opposition leaders have alleged a complete breakdown of law and order, describing the situation as “jungle raj”.Meanwhile, a copy of an arms licence surfaced on social media, showing that Kumar had two licensed weapons registered in his name: a 7.62 mm pistol and a .12 bore gun. The licence was issued in 2024, PTI reported.In his complaint, Bhim Singh said his only son was a boxer and cricket player who had been fighting against the drug menace after being distressed by deaths caused by substance abuse in Punjab.Singh alleged that his son’s campaign against drugs brought him into the crosshairs of drug smugglers in Mansa, as well as politicians and government officials allegedly involved in the trade.He also alleged that Kumar and his associates conspired to murder his son.Responding to a ‘Punjab bandh’ call given by Singh, streets and markets across the state wore a deserted look on Thursday, with shops and private schools remaining shut in several districts.Protesters also blocked several roads in response to the bandh call, prompting authorities to divert traffic through alternative routes.The shutdown call was backed by the Congress, Akali Dal, BJP, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, Samyukta Kisan Morcha and state government employee unions.(With agency inputs)
