Mansa: Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) functionary Lakha Sidhana and political activist Mohanjit Singh Sheron were remanded in police custody for four days each on Thursday in a case registered over the Oct 27 clash between police and protesters.The two were detained when protesters tried to take the body of Diljit Singh, 33, who died of suspected drug overdose, to the Mansa protest site, where a stir is underway seeking justice in the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.Police intensified their action over the clash on Wednesday, registering an FIR against 40 unidentified persons at Mansa City 1 police station. The charges include BNS Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 132 (assault or use of criminal force against a public servant), 221 (voluntarily obstructing a public servant), 121(1) (voluntarily causing simple hurt to a public servant), 121(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a public servant), 191(3) (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 190 (collective criminal liability) and 301 (trespassing on burial places or areas set apart for funeral rites).Police are examining video clips from the scene to identify protesters allegedly involved in vandalism or clashes with personnel. Sidhana and Sheron were produced before the court through videoconferencing on Thursday.Sheron had drawn attention after showing a black flag to chief minister Bhagwant Mann during his Lok Milni in Sheron village, Sangrur, on Sept 2. Sidhana’s counsel, Harpal Singh Khaara, told TOI that the court had allowed him to speak to the arrested person daily through videoconferencing.Diljit, a resident of Bhamme Kalan village, died on Oct 27. Villagers initially placed his body on the road before heading towards Mansa. Police deployed a large number of personnel at Ramditte Wala Chowk to stop them, triggering a clash. Police took custody of the body and shifted it to AIIMS Bathinda for an autopsy. Several protesters and three police personnel were injured. Police registered the case on Wednesday following a complaint by one of the injured policemen.Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary said police were identifying those allegedly involved in attacking personnel and taking them into custody. Two accused had been arrested and produced in court, while nearly 18 others had been detained preventively, he said.Punjab Student Union functionary Arwinder Kaur, who was detained along with other protesters from the vehicle carrying Diljit’s body, returned to the protest site after her release.The Parvinder Singh Insaf Committee has called a meeting with farmer and worker organisations on Friday to decide its next course of action. Protests over Jhota’s killing continued for the 17th day, with no breakthrough.
