Mohali: The CBI has finished asking its questions. The four accused now wait in jail.
A special CBI court in Mohali on Wednesday sent all four accused in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota to 14 days of judicial custody after the agency completed its custodial interrogation, officials said. The accused are prime suspect Ashwani Kumar, a pharmacy owner, his wife Neelam Rani, and alleged accomplices Vipin Garg and Ladi.
The CBI had earlier secured five days of custody of Ashwani, Vipin and Ladi, while the court granted four days of custody of Neelam Rani, whose judicial custody began on Tuesday.
Jhota was killed on October 13 in Mansa. According to the case, Ashwani allegedly shot him 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 after the Punjab government decided to transfer the case to the central agency, following demands from Jhota's family. The agency registered a fresh FIR and collected the original investigation records from the local police.
The case has run alongside a political argument in the state over drug enforcement, and the transfer to the CBI became a point of contention between the ruling party and the opposition. Jhota's family had sought a central probe, arguing that a local investigation would not be independent.
What the CBI's questioning has established has not been made public. The agency's next step is expected to be a chargesheet, and the judicial custody period will run out before that filing unless it seeks an extension.
Four people were injured in the firing and have been treated. Their statements form part of the record the agency has collected from the local police.