Tension prevailed in Mansa on Thursday as a joint protest demanding justice for anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and marginal farmer Daljit Singh continued at Tinkoni near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence. Both families have refused to perform the cremations, with Jhota’s body at the Civil Hospital and Daljit’s at AIIMS, Bathinda. Amid mounting pressure, the police temporarily deployed three SP-rank officers in the district, transferred two subdivisional DSPs and appointed a replacement for a suspended DSP. Special DGP Praveen Kumar Sinha remained in Mansa to assess the situation.According to an FIR, Daljit’s father, Jarnail Singh, alleged that three men abducted his son from Bhamme Kalan bus stand on October 27 and later dumped his body near a tree on the Ramanandi link road. He alleged that the accused bet Daljit and administered a poisonous substance. The police registered a murder case and arrested those named in the complaint. A court remanded them in two-day police custody on Thursday.Daljit’s mother, wife and sister continue to demand the release of people detained during Tuesday’s police action. Jarnail Singh consented to the post-mortem examination, conducted on Wednesday, but the family remains divided over cremation.Jhota’s parents have demanded the Chief Minister’s and DGP’s resignations, among other measures. His father, Bhim Singh, said the action committee would not hold talks with the government until detainees were released and cases against them cancelled.The committee plans to meet nearly 50 organisations on October 30 and has announced a 24-hour gherao of AAP MLAs on October 31. Protesters have also stopped serving langar to police personnel.Meanwhile, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal visited Daljit’s family and had a heated phone conversation with the Mansa SSP over the handling of the mortal remains.The protest remained peaceful on Thursday. Later, SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary met local traders and assured them that peace would be maintained.