CHANDIGARH/MANSA: 26 days after anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead in Mansa, his postmortem was conducted at PGIMER-Chandigarh on Saturday afternoon but his father Bhim Singh refused to give up his indefinite fast, demanding the transfer of Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary.Jhota’s postmortem was conducted following an agreement between state govt and the Parvinder Singh Jhota Insaf Committee, which is spearheading the protest for justice. His last rites will be performed at Mansa on Sunday morning.CBI handed over Jhota’s body to his family after the postmortem and completion of documentation. A member of the committee said the body would be kept in the PGIMER mortuary overnight and they would leave for Mansa on Sunday morning.Bhim Singh said the family would first take the body to their house before performing the last rites on their farmland on Chakerian Road.In Chandigarh, Bhim Singh’s protest continued. The ex-Serviceman did not eat anything throughout the day. His health deteriorated and he was attended to by doctors at PGI-Chandigarh.“Except for drinking water, Bapu Bhim Singh did not have anything,” said Kisan Ekta Chandigarh national president Satnam Singh Tanda, who is associated with committee and was alongside Bhim Singh on Sunday.
Jhota dad to continue hunger strike after cremation too
Tanda said even after cremation of Jhota on Sunday, he will continue his hunger strike until the Mansa SSP is transferred.“Many people, including us, doctors and police tried to persuade him to eat something due to his health condition, but he refused. He covered his mouth so that he was not force-fed,” said Tanda.Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said he would speak with Singh after the cremation. On the demand for the SSP’s transfer, Khudian said, “We will sort out the issue after having talks. I will listen to him and try to address the issue.”It was Khudian and Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, who held talks with Jhota’s family and the Insaaf Committee to end the stalemate over the postmortem.On November 4, govt agreed to release those arrested during protests following Jhota’s killing on October 13, cancel cases against them, give financial compensation to the bereaved family and those injured in the shooting, and a govt job for Jhota’s wife.Two morcha members, Lakhvir Singh and Mohanjit Singh Sheron, arrested during the October 28 protest, were released from Nabha jail on Thursday evening. The next day Jhota’s body was brought to PGIMER-Chandigarh, 180km from Mansa.However, the autopsy was conducted after nearly 35 hours as the doctors waited for the body to attain a suitable temperature as it had remained in a freezer for 24 days.
Jhota’s father urges youth to shun drugs
Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota’s father Bhim Singh has urged youths in Punjab to shun drugs this Diwali.“I appeal to the people of Punjab, especially the youth, to pledge on Diwali that they will never take drugs. Let this Diwali mark a historic turning point, with no youth taking drugs after Parvinder’s cremation. Drugs must be eradicated from Punjab,” said Bhim Singh. People say that, as Parvinder Singh was killed for raising his voice against drugs, mainly habit- forming pharmaceutical drugs, the appeal is being seen as an effort to cleanse Punjab of the addiction.
