Punjab: Chemist, 3 aides sent to judicial custody as CBI wraps up questioning in Jhota murder case

The accused include prime suspect Ashwani Kumar, his wife, Neelam Rani, and alleged accomplices Vipin Garg and Ladi

A special CBI court in Mohali on Wednesday sent all four accused in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota to 14-day judicial custody after the agency completed its custodial interrogation.

The CBI is investigating the October 13 killing of Jhota in Mansa. (HT File)

The accused include prime suspect Ashwani Kumar, his wife, Neelam Rani, and alleged accomplices Vipin Garg and Ladi. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had secured five days of custody of Ashwani, Vipin and Ladi, while the court had granted four-day custody of Neelam Rani, whose judicial custody began on Tuesday.

The CBI is investigating the October 13 killing of Jhota in Mansa. Ashwani, a pharmacy owner, allegedly shot Jhota during a confrontation at his medical store over the alleged illegal sale of prescription drugs. Jhota was livestreaming the confrontation on Facebook when the firing killed him and injured four others.

After the shooting, Ashwani fled Punjab and was arrested in Salasar, Rajasthan. Punjab Police subsequently arrested Neelam and the two alleged accomplices on allegations linked to helping him evade arrest.

The CBI took over the investigation following the Punjab government’s decision to transfer the case to the central agency after demands from Jhota’s family. It registered a fresh FIR and collected the original investigation records from the local police.