Parvinder Jhotta Murder Case: Bulldozer Action at Accused Chemist’s House, Shop Vandalised

Mansa: The atmosphere remains tense after the murder of Parvinder Singh Jhotta, who raised his voice against drug abuse, in Mansa, Punjab. Medical store operator Ashwini Kumar is accused of Jhota's murder. After the incident, angry people and Nihang Singh organisations vandalised the medical store of the accused. Meanwhile, the administration started action to demolish the alleged illegal construction at Ashwini Kumar's house. A large number of people gathered at the spot, following which police force had to be deployed to maintain law and order. According to various media reports, information has also come to light that the murder accused has been arrested from Salasar in Rajasthan. 

Why did the administration take action at home instead of the shop?

Initially there was discussion that the administration could run a bulldozer on the medical store of the accused. However, as per available reports, the action was taken over the alleged illegal construction of his house. As soon as the process of removing the construction started with the bulldozer, a crowd of people started gathering around the house. The detailed information on what legal basis the administration's action was taken and how much of the construction was removed is not clear in the available reports. Therefore, official information regarding the basis of the action and its scope is awaited.

When did the action of bulldozing against illegal construction of houses start?

According to reports, the Mansa administration took action to demolish the house of accused Ashwini Kumar. Earlier in the initial news, there was a possibility of bulldozing on his medical store. Later reports made it clear that the administration's target was the construction of a house, whereas due to the incident being a medical store, there was a different situation regarding the action there. However, the detailed order issued by the administration and the complete information on the basis for declaring the construction illegal were not revealed.

Why was the medical store vandalised?

As the news of Parvinder Singh Jhotta's murder spread, people's anger increased in Mansa. On Tuesday, a large number of supporters and members of Nihang Singh's organisations reached outside the medical store. According to The Times of India and other media reports, the protesters broke the shutter of the shop and damaged goods and furniture inside. The police force was deployed at the spot, but the police had difficulty in stopping the crowd. After this incident the tension in the area increased further. 

What information did the police give regarding the arrest of the accused?

According to police officials, the main accused Ashwini Kumar was caught from Salasar in Rajasthan. He is accused of shooting and killing Jhota. Police said that the accused had absconded after the incident and teams were formed to nab him. A relative of the accused was also earlier detained on suspicion of allegedly helping him. The investigating agencies are probing the sequence of the incident, the weapon used and aspects of the old dispute. 

Is the old dispute also being investigated?

According to reports, there was a dispute between Jhota and Ashwini Kumar in the year 2023 also. At that time Jhotta had accused the medical store of selling banned drugs. After this incident, cases were registered against both the parties. The police are now looking into the old dispute while investigating the current murder case. However, it is necessary to wait for the findings of the investigation and the available evidence before considering the old dispute as the definite reason for the murder. 

What is the challenge before the administration and police?

At present, the administration is facing the challenge of taking action related to illegal construction and the police are facing the challenge of maintaining law and order along with impartial investigation of the murder case. At the same time, it is also important to identify those who vandalise shops and houses and investigate the damage caused to property. Even if a person is accused of a serious crime, the mob does not have the right to damage his property. Further action in the matter should be taken only as per legal process. In view of the tension created in Mansa after the Jhota massacre, people are keeping an eye on the police deployment and administrative steps.