Chandigarh, Oct 21 (IANS) A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday reached Mansa town in AAP-ruled Punjab to investigate the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.
The team reportedly arrived late Tuesday night and collected case-related documents from the police, marking the beginning of the central agency’s investigation.
The development comes in the wake of the Punjab government’s decision to transfer the case to the CBI after persistent demands from Jhota’s family for an independent investigation.
Home Minister Amit Shah also met the bereaved family in Mansa on Tuesday and assured them of a thorough probe.
Jhota was shot dead on October 13 inside a medical store in Mansa. He was known for raising his voice against the alleged illegal sale of addictive substances.
The accused, identified as Ashwani Kumar, was arrested in Rajasthan.
The CBI has taken over the case records from the local police. The CBI is expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing and examine the evidence gathered so far.
A meeting with Jhota’s family was also expected on Wednesday. The family and supporters have been demanding justice and a comprehensive investigation into the case.
The transfer to the CBI has raised expectations that all aspects of the murder will be examined.
Home Minister Shah on Tuesday met families of three victims in Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Mansa in Punjab, who were killed after raising their voices against drug-related activities, and assured them of justice.
During the meetings, HM Shah expressed condolences to the bereaved families, with a CBI probe promised in all three cases.
At around 3.30 p.m., HM Shah reached Mansa to meet the family of Jhota, a young social worker who was murdered after raising his voice against the sale of medical drugs. He met Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, mother, Amarjit Kaur, and wife, Manpreet Kaur, and expressed condolences and assured them of justice.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, former state BJP president Sunil Jakhar, Preneet Kaur, national vice-president Manpreet Singh Badal and Rajya Sabha member Bikramjit Singh Sahney were present during the meeting.
–IANS
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