Jhota murder case: Deadlock ends after 22 days as family agrees to autopsy, cremation

An anti-drug activist was shot dead on October 13 inside a medical store in a busy marketplace in Mansa, Punjab. According to reports, the victim had confronted the pharmacy owner for allegedly selling addictive drugs to an elderly man while broadcasting the encounter live on Facebook. The shooting also injured four other people. Following the incident, the victim's body remained in a hospital mortuary for 22 days as family members and an action committee led an intense agitation demanding high-level resignations and accountability from state authorities.

The 22-day deadlock finally ended after a lengthy meeting between the protesters, the victim's family, and Punjab government representatives, including the Assembly Speaker and the Agriculture Minister. Under the agreement, the state government promised a compensation of 2 crore rupees to the victim's family and a government job for his wife. Additionally, the government agreed to release detained protesters, withdraw related cases, transfer the investigation to the CBI, and provide compensation and a job for the family of another individual who died during the protests.

Authorities took swift action regarding the murder itself, arresting the store owner and three others within 24 hours. The state government also suspended a local station house officer, a deputy superintendent of police, and a drug inspector. Furthermore, regulatory steps were taken against unauthorized drug sales, including adding certain capsules to strict prescription schedules and canceling multiple chemist licenses in the district.

Not yet reported: The articles do not specify the final court verdicts or criminal sentences for the arrested store owner and co-accused.