​The Faridkot police have registered a case against three individuals, including a prominent student union leader, and several unidentified protesters for allegedly tearing down government hoardings and flex boards during the statewide “Punjab Bandh” on October 15.​The shutdown was called in the wake of massive public outrage following the brutal daylight murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.​​According to police records, the case was registered late on the evening of October 16 at 10.45 pm following police patrolling and intelligence inputs.As per the FIR, the location of incident is Qila Mubarak Chowk in Faridkot and a case under Section 324(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to mischief causing damage, along with Section 4 of the Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Act, 2014, has been registered.The complainant and investigating officer in this case is ASI Parvinder Singh.​The police have specifically named three individuals in the FIR, alongside other unknown associates. The identified accused are Naunihal Singh, a resident of Deep Singh Wala village,​Harveer Kaur Gandhal, district president, Punjab Student Union (PSU), Faridkot, and ​Sukhdeep Singh Bhana, a resident of Faridkot.​The legal action stems from the high-tensions witnessed across Punjab on October 15. The state-wide shutdown was called by a Joint Action Committee of farmers, student bodies, and socio-religious organisations to protest the tragic assassination of anti-drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa on October 13. Protesters took to the streets demanding immediate justice, a CBI probe, and stringent action against drug syndicates.​According to the brief facts noted by ASI Parvinder Singh, while on patrolling and checking duty at Qila Mubarak Chowk, a secret informer tipped off the police that state-level protesters demonstrating over Jhota’s murder had intentionally damaged government-installed hoarding and flex boards across Faridkot city. Acting on this input, the police registered the case against the student leader and her co-accused for destruction of public property.​The move has drawn sharp criticism from local student and activist fraternities, who argue that the police action is a heavy-handed tactic aimed at silencing democratic dissent and peaceful agitations against the deteriorating law and order and drug menace in the state.