Mansa road barricading and a heavy police deployment disrupted movement on key routes in Punjab’s Mansa on Wednesday, as authorities prepared for a possible large gathering following the killing of anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh Jhota.
According to a report by Times of India – Chandigarh, loaded tippers and trucks were parked along the main Barnala-Mansa road and other routes as a preventive measure. The vehicles could be used to block the roads if required, while additional police personnel were requisitioned and deployed in Mansa and along the approaches to the town.
Travellers on the affected roads were reportedly stopped and asked to explain the purpose of their journey. The restrictions also affected public transport. Passengers at Handiaya Chowk told the newspaper that they had been waiting for buses for a long time, but no bus had arrived for an extended period.
The police action followed the killing of Jhota in Mansa on Tuesday. The report said that a large number of activists subsequently gathered in the town and appealed to Punjab residents to reach Mansa. They also called for a Punjab bandh on October 15.
The deployment reflects the authorities’ concern that the mobilisation could draw a large crowd. The report did not provide details of a formal traffic diversion plan, the number of police personnel deployed or the duration of the road restrictions. It also did not specify whether all bus services in the area had been suspended or whether the disruption was limited to particular routes.
The police have arrested the main accused, identified in the report as Ashwani Kumar, from Salasar in Rajasthan. The arrest was reported amid preparations for the gathering and the proposed bandh, but the supplied report does not provide further details about the charges, the investigation or the circumstances of the arrest.
Mansa has previously seen similar police barricading during public mobilisation linked to drug-related grievances. The report recalled that comparable blockades were put in place after Gulzar Singh, whose son was reportedly addicted to drugs, died by suicide after consuming a poisonous substance at Toor Banzara village in Sangrur on September 7.
That earlier deployment also affected political visitors. Senior BJP leaders, including state president Kewal Singh Dhillon, reportedly had to walk a long distance to reach Gulzar Singh’s residence. Congress leaders, including state president Pargat Singh, had announced that they would travel to Mansa on Wednesday.
The immediate operational issue for residents is access: road checks, parked heavy vehicles and reduced bus availability have made travel more difficult on routes connected to Mansa. The next major development is expected around the proposed Punjab bandh on October 15, when police arrangements and public transport operations will determine the extent of disruption.
