Mansa SHO suspended after murder of anti-drug activist sparks protests

Mansa SHO Beant Kaur has been suspended in connection with the murder of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota. The killing has led to a statewide bandh in Punjab, with protesters demanding accountability. The main shooter has been arrested.

Women Inspector Beant Kaur, Station House Officer (SHO) of City Police Station-2 in Mansa, has been suspended with immediate effect by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vaibhav Chaudhary in connection with the murder of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota. According to an order issued by the Office of the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mansa, on October 15, Beant Kaur has been placed under suspension with immediate effect. “Women Inspector Beant Kaur, Station House Officer (SHO), Police Station City-2, Mansa, is hereby suspended with immediate effect,” the order stated.

Statewide Protests Erupt Over Activist's Murder

The suspension comes amid protests across Punjab over the killing of Jhota, an anti-drug activist from Mansa district who was allegedly shot by a medical shop owner on Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital with bullet injuries but later succumbed to them.Several farmers' and workers' organisations have called for a statewide Punjab bandh on Thursday, demanding accountability from the state government over the killing and action against those responsible.

Police Maintain Order in Amritsar Amid Bandh

Meanwhile, normal life continued in Amritsar during the shutdown, with traffic moving smoothly and police personnel deployed to maintain law and order.Amritsar Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill warned that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to force shopkeepers to close their establishments or disturb public order.Speaking to the media, Gill said shopkeepers and business owners were free to shut their establishments voluntarily in support of the bandh, but no one would be allowed to use coercion.He said meetings had been held with representatives of various organisations ahead of the shutdown, during which police had urged them to ensure that protests remained peaceful and did not inconvenience the public. According to Gill, the organisations had assured the police that they would not take the law into their own hands or force shops to close. He said the commitment had been honoured so far, with no reports of forced closures in the city.The Police Commissioner said he was personally overseeing security arrangements throughout the bandh and reiterated that anyone attempting to disturb peace would face strict action.Speaking to ANI, Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Jaskaran Singh Teja said adequate police personnel had been deployed and the situation remained peaceful. “We have deployed sufficient force. Things are going on peacefully. Sufficient force has been deployed. We will not let anyone take the law into their own hands. Everything will happen peacefully. If someone closes the shop of their own will, they can do so. No one will be forced to do so,” Teja said.He added that police personnel had been deployed to ensure that shopkeepers were not forced to shut their establishments and that normal activities continued wherever possible.Locals blocked the Bathinda-Mansa road near Bhaini Bagha village, while protesters also blocked Dolphin Chowk Road in Mohali as part of the statewide shutdown.

Protesters Demand Resignations, Allege Mafia Involvement

A leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) said various farmers' and workers' organisations, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee Punjab, had jointly called for the bandh.The leader accused the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government of failing to control drug-related activities and demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister and the Director General of Police (DGP). “We say the honourable Chief Minister should resign,” the leader said, adding that the DGP should also step down over the alleged deterioration in the law-and-order situation.The KMM leader also rejected the suggestion that Jhota's killing stemmed from personal rivalry, alleging that the activist was targeted by the drug mafia for raising public issues.Earlier, Jhota's father, Bhim Singh, had also demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister and the DGP, along with a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He had additionally sought the dismissal of the SSP, DSP and SHO, and the release of activists detained during protests.

Government Responds, Main Shooter Arrested

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has termed Jhota's killing unfortunate and assured that those responsible would face the strictest punishment. He said he had directed the DGP to ensure a thorough investigation and that anyone involved in the alleged conspiracy would not be spared.Earlier, Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Rajasthan Police, arrested the alleged main shooter from Salasar in Rajasthan on Wednesday.According to Salasar SHO Shankar Lal Bhari, the accused was apprehended from Shri Ganganagar Dharamshala near the Salasar Balaji Temple, where he was reportedly hiding in disguise.The Punjab Police team subsequently took the accused into custody, and further investigation into the case is underway. The statewide bandh call followed demands by Jhota's family and various organisations for accountability and an independent investigation into his killing.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)