Days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the families of slain Punjab anti-drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota and daily wager Gulzar Singh, the Centre on Friday granted them X-category security cover.Sources in the security establishment confirmed the move, saying CRPF personnel had been deployed to protect the families of Jhota and Gulzar following a threat assessment.Gulzar had allegedly died by suicide after confronting Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema at a public event in Toor Banjara village in Dirba (Sangrur) on September 6. Jhota was allegedly shot dead in Mansa district on October 13 while confronting a local chemist accused of selling habit-forming drugs.The security cover comes 10 days after Shah assured the families of justice. Under the X-category security arrangement, three security personnel are assigned to each protectee. Sources said the cover had been extended to Gulzar’s wife and members of Jhota’s family.The Centre’s decision to provide security was expected to acquire political overtones in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly elections, said an analyst. The Ministry of Home Affairs had recently sought details from the Punjab Government about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Gulzar, Jhota and Bikramjit Singh of Gurdaspur.During his visit, Shah had also met Mohanjit Singh Sheron, who alleged that he had faced custodial torture for displaying a black flag during Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s ‘lok milni’ programme. The Centre’s intervention comes amid mounting criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party government over its handling of protests by families demanding justice.