Mansa police have registered a case against 1,000 to 1,200 unidentified people for allegedly vandalising and setting fire to a medical store owned by Ashwani Kumar, the accused in the murder case of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.
The case has been registered at the City-2 Police Station in Mansa. The action relates to the ransacking of the medical store following Jhota's murder. Police have booked the unidentified individuals in connection with the vandalism and arson.
The latest development comes amid an ongoing dispute between Jhota's family and the Punjab government over the demands raised following his killing.
On Tuesday, Jhota's father, Bhim Singh, appeared before a Mansa court in connection with cases registered against him and his associates in 2023. The court has scheduled the next hearing for November 26, 2026.
Speaking after the hearing, Bhim Singh questioned why he was still being called to court despite the government's reported assurance that the cases would be withdrawn. He said the family was still waiting for several demands to be fulfilled.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had recently stated that the government had accepted all genuine demands raised by Jhota's family and the action committee. However, Bhim Singh said that the government had so far issued a notification for a CBI investigation and suspended police officials, while other demands remained pending.
These include the withdrawal of cases against him and his associates and the establishment of a trauma centre. The family has also demanded the transfer of Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary.
The disagreement over the SSP's transfer has kept the deadlock over Jhota's post-mortem and cremation unresolved. Bhim Singh has also sought copies of the suspension orders of the officials facing action and demanded a detailed inquiry into their roles.
The government has agreed to a CBI probe, a post-mortem by a panel of senior doctors from PGIMER, Chandigarh, security for the family and the installation of Jhota's statue in Mansa.
Despite the government's response, the family has maintained that its protest will continue until the remaining demands are addressed.