MANSA: Neelam Rani, wife of Ashwani Kumar, main accused of the killing of anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh, has been arrested.Earlier, she was named in the case on charges of helping her husband flee after committing the crime on October 13.Police are questioning her as part of the investigation.Mansa SSP Vaibhav Vhaudhary confirmed that Neelam Rani has been arrested and her role in the crime is being investigated. She worked as a pharmacist at the medical store owned by her husband.Meanwhile, Ashwani Kumar has been remanded in police custody for seven days.He was produced before a court late Thursday along with another accused, Vipin. The court remanded both accused in police custody for seven days.Markets and educational institutions remained shut, highways were blocked and public transport was disrupted across Punjab on Thursday as a statewide bandh over the murder of anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh Jhota received widespread support.Emergency services remained operational, while police intervened at several places to prevent forced closures and clear traffic.Shops remained shut in Mansa, Bathinda, Sangrur, Barnala, Moga, Patiala, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur and other towns.Many private schools declared holidays, while toll plazas in parts of Ludhiana and Patiala suspended collections in support of the bandh.The bandh received support from the Congress, BJP, SAD, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, Akali Dal Punar Surjit and SAD (Amritsar), as well as farmer and youth associations.
