Mansa: Even as the Punjab govt-appointed panel claimed to have accepted most of the demands raised by the Parvinder Singh Jhota Insaf Committee, except those seeking the resignation of the chief minister and the DGP, the committee remained firm on its stand on Friday. It said any further talks should be held either with an empowered panel authorised to discuss these issues or with the Punjab cabinet itself.Committee members, including Parvinder’s wife Manpreet Kaur, said discussions on the resignations of the chief minister and DGP were central to their demands and could not be ignored. They maintained that if the present panel lacked the authority to deliberate on these issues, another panel with appropriate powers or the state cabinet should come to Mansa for talks.Rejecting allegations that the demand for the resignations was politically motivated, Manpreet said it was the demand of the family and the Insaf Committee. She said consent for the postmortem would be given only after the core demand was formally debated.The committee also announced a statewide protest on Oct 25, during which jhadu (broom), the election symbol of the Aam Aadmi Party, will be burnt in villages and towns across Punjab between noon and 7 pm. The committee further urged the govt to hold a serious discussion on the drug menace during the ongoing Assembly session, warning that otherwise the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign would be viewed as a mere formality.Earlier in the day, the govt panel handed over a written document to the insaf committee during the third round of talks in Mansa, detailing the demands it had accepted.Among the key decisions, the Punjab govt announced that the sale of Pregabalin capsules without a prescription would be prohibited from Nov 11 under Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945. Pregabalin and its formulations were moved from Schedule H to Schedule H1 by the Centre on May 13, 2026. Jhota had been campaigning against the alleged misuse and unrestricted sale of the drug.The administration also informed the committee that its crackdown on chemists selling prohibited substances was continuing. So far, licences of three chemists have been cancelled, one licence suspended and four shops sealed.The panel said Mansa DSP, the SHO concerned and a drug inspector had been placed under suspension, and formal orders would be shared with the committee.The demand for a postmortem examination at PGIMER has been accepted. The govt has also approved compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the four persons injured in the incident, apart from bearing their treatment expenses.According to the panel, the demand for a CBI probe has already been accepted. The issue of conducting trials in a fast-track court will be examined by the CBI, while the state govt will make appropriate recommendations.The govt has also agreed to provide security to Parwinder Singh’s family. A statue in his memory will be installed on govt land, while the proposed trauma centre at Khiala Kalan village will be named after him. The police will also review FIRs registered in connection with the tearing down of govt hoardings and flex boards.Panel members said they hoped to hold another meeting with the Insaf Committee soon to discuss its response to the proposals.Meanwhile, the CBI obtained production warrants from a Mansa court and took custody of Ashwani Kumar, his wife Neelam Rani, cousin Vipan and Ladi. All four were taken to Mohali and produced before a special CBI court. The court remanded Ashwani, Vipan and Ladi to five days of CBI custody, while Neelam Rani was sent to four days’ custody.
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