Punjab observed a bandh on Thursday over the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, with the situation remaining largely peaceful across the state, barring reports of political hoardings being torn down and a tobacco kiosk set on fire in Mansa.Shops, several banks and educational institutions remained closed as protesters, including Nihangs and farmers, took to the streets, urging people to shut their business establishments. Mansa town remained shut for the third consecutive day as the agitation continued.Markets remained shut at several places in the state, including Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Sangrur, Barnala, Moga, Patiala and Mansa, and protesters blocked roads, disrupting traffic movement. However, emergency services remained operational.Several toll plazas, including in Ludhiana and Patiala, did not charge any fee from the commuters in support of the bandh call.Amid mounting pressure from protesters, the Mansa City-2 SHO, Inspector Beant Kaur, was suspended on administrative grounds on Thursday, two days after Jhota’s murder. The protesters had demanded action against her and other police officers, alleging failure to curb the drug menace in the area. “I have suspended SHO Beant Kaur on administrative grounds with immediate effect,” Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary told The Tribune.SHo suspended amid mounting pressureThe Mansa City-2 SHO, Inspector Beant Kaur, was suspended on administrative grounds on Thursday, two days after Jhota’s murder. Protesters had sought action against her over the drug menace.The SSP said all four accused in the case had been arrested. “The main accused chemist, Ashwani Kumar, and his relative, Vipan, were produced in a court today, which remanded them in seven-day police custody. Ashwani’s wife, Neelam, was arrested today. She was aware of Ashwani’s intentions, but did not inform the police. Ashwani was upset over an old incident involving Jhota and used to discuss the matter with his wife. Another accused, Laddi, has also been arrested,” the SSP said.Ludhiana drug store vandalised after deathA mob on Thursday vandalised a medical store in the Old Sabzi Mandi area of Ludhiana, alleging that the chemist had sold prohibited intoxicating medicines to a man, Sahil, resulting in his death.The bandh lasted 11 hours, from 6 am to 5 pm. Farmers blocked roads at several places, including national highways, while toll plazas were made toll-free at multiple locations. The police had set up checkpoints across the state and removed protesters from various roads, detaining several of them. Opposition parties, various religious groups and farmer and trader organisations had supported the bandh.After some protesters set fire to a tobacco kiosk opposite the City-1 police station in Mansa, alleging that it had remained open during the bandh, Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, condemned the incident, calling those involved “mischievous elements”. He appealed to people to maintain Hindu-Sikh unity and not derail the protest.Late in the evening, Jhota’s father appealed to traders in Mansa to reopen their business establishments from tomorrow, saying he did not want to cause financial losses to anyone.He, however, added that the protest would continue. “I also appeal to the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and the local Beopar Mandal to send one representative each to our action committee. Besides, I appeal to residents of Mansa villages to turn out in large numbers to press for our demands. I am thankful to everyone who made the bandh successful today,” Bhim Singh said.Meanwhile, the action committee appealed to the SGPC to grant the “shaheed” status to Jhota. “We demand that a statue of Jhota be installed at the shop where he was murdered. We are not satisfied with the suspension of the SHO. It should start from dismissal of police personnel,” said a committee member.The committee also expressed sympathy with the family of a youngster who was electrocuted while removing politicians’ hoardings in Ludhiana district.Two protest sites remained active in Mansa — one at Tinkoni Chowk near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence on the Barnala-Sirsa Road and the other at the Civil Hospital, where Jhota’s body remained in the mortuary. Despite heavy police presence, some protesters forcibly entered the hospital on Thursday. Earlier, they were staging a protest outside.Two rounds of talks involving the DIG, the SSP, the DC and the ADC failed to break the deadlock on Wednesday night and Thursday. Members of the action committee refused to negotiate over the post-mortem until their demands were met.Sources indicated that the state government was likely to take action against another police officer in connection with the murder.Jhota was shot dead on Tuesday following a confrontation with Ashwani over drugs at the latter’s shop in Mansa. The incident was streamed live on Jhota’s Facebook page, triggering widespread outrage. Four others were also injured.Heavy rain and waterlogging disrupted Mansa early on Thursday, forcing protesters to shift their tent a few metres ahead at Tinkoni.The support for the agitation, however, continued to grow, with a large number of protesters in groups moving through the town. Hoardings describing Jhota as a “shaheed” were put up at the protest site.Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann visited the mortuary on Wednesday and placed a “siropa” (robe of honour) on Jhota’s body. An old video of Jhota declaring that he would continue speaking against drugs till his last breath has also gone viral on social media.Mansa Drug Inspector Naresh Kumar, meanwhile, said Ashwani held licences for wholesale and retail drug sales, with his wife listed as a joint licence holder on one licence as a pharmacist. “Ashwani had obtained the licence in 2008 on the basis of his work experience and not through any qualified degree,” he said.The sources said Ashwani had two licensed weapons registered in his name and had obtained the licence around two years ago.Meanwhile, the Dasehra celebrations will not be held in Mansa this year. The New Dasehra Committee has decided to call off the event following the murder and amid concerns over the prevailing situation. Dasehra falls on October 20.* Free education offer for Jhota’s sonsRajya Sabha member and BJP leader Vikramjit Singh Sahney has announced that he will take responsibility for the education and upbringing of Jhota’s two sons. Earlier, the US team of the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) had also announced that it would bear the educational expenses of both kids, aged about nine and six, until they complete Class XII. The family, however, is yet to react to these announcements.