Chandigarh
 
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said the government had accepted all genuine demands of the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, leaving the decision on his post-mortem and last rites to them. However, the standoff continued for the 14th consecutive day, with the family and the action committee refusing to relent on their demand for the resignations of the Chief Minister and the Director General of Police (DGP).
 
The agitation gained further momentum as ex-servicemen from across Punjab joined the protest, while the CBI intensified its investigation into the October 13 killing by raiding two medical store godowns in Mansa.
 
Mann, speaking to reporters at an event in Patiala, said that the government had fulfilled its responsibility by accepting the family's legitimate demands. He maintained that conducting the post-mortem was now entirely the family's decision.
 
The CBI conducted searches on Monday morning at godowns belonging to two medical stores in Mansa’s Veer Nagar locality. One of the premises belongs to accused chemist Ashwini Kumar. A plumber was called to open the locks of the godowns.
 
The CBI team reached Mansa around midnight on October 20 and has since been investigating the case. The central agency's probe addresses a key demand of the protesters, but the family and the action committee maintain that their other demands must also be met.
 
Three rounds of high-level meetings between the administration and the protesters have failed to resolve the impasse. Although the administration claimed that nearly 12 demands had been accepted during the third meeting, the committee remained dissatisfied. The family is also demanding the transfer of Mansa SSP, besides the resignations of the CM and DGP.
 
Jhota's body remains in the mortuary of the Civil Hospital since October 13, where supporters have maintained a round-the-clock vigil. The indefinite sit-in continues at Mansa’s Trikoni Chowk and near the Deputy Commissioner's residence.

Jhota's wife, Manpreet Kaur, appealed to farmers, labourers, youth, and organizations to unite on a common platform, stressing that the struggle must extend beyond securing punishment for those responsible for her husband’s killing.
 
She said the movement should become a collective fight against Punjab’s drug menace so that other families do not suffer similar tragedies. Holding the government accountable for deaths among young people, she said, was essential to preventing more families from being devastated by drugs.
 
Meanwhile, wholesale and retail chemists across Punjab announced a halt to sales of tramadol, pregabalin, and all psychotropic and narcotic drugs.