A second round of talks between a three-member committee of senior female IAS officers and the family of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota ended without a breakthrough late Wednesday evening, despite state assurances of financial compensation and the dropping of pending cases.

The meeting, held at the Zila Parishad Hall in Mansa, was convened by the Punjab government to clear hurdles for Jhota’s post-mortem examination and final rites. Senior officials in attendance included Mansa Deputy Commissioner Navjot Kaur, and IAS  officers Apneet Riyait and Kanwaljeet Kaur Brar, along with DIG Harjeet Singh and SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary.

During the discussions, government representatives announced 500,000 INR ($8,100 CAD) in compensation for each of the four individuals injured during the incident, along with full coverage of their medical expenses. Officials also assured the family that previous police cases registered against Jhota and his father, Bhim Singh, stemming from their anti-drug campaigns, would be dropped.

However, Jhota’s family and members of the joint action committee refused to give consent for the autopsy and cremation, demanding that the murder investigation be immediately handed over to India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The standoff follows the suspension of Deputy Superintendent of Police Harjinder Singh Gill and Drug Inspector Naresh Kumar in connection with the murder, a move confirmed by DIG Harjeet Singh.