Killing of Parvinder Singh Jhota: Punjab’s drug menace and the questions it raises | Explainer

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Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring meets the bereaved family of late anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead on October 13, 2026, during his visit to their residence in Mansa on October 14, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI

The story so far: Parvinder Singh Jhota, an anti-drug crusader, was shot dead on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) at a local medical store in Punjab’s Mansa district, sparking immediate outrage in the State, which has been battling drug abuse for decades.

On Tuesday (October 13, 2026), the Punjab Police’s anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (Fight Against Drugs) entered its 591st day; however, the killing of Jhota has put the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the defensive over the State’s poor law and order and its pre-election promise to rid Punjab of drugs.

The Police asserted that preliminary investigation into the murder of Jhota has pointed towards personal enmity as the motive behind the crime, even as Jhota’s family and supporters refused to cremate the body, blaming the State government for its failure to curb substance abuse.

Jhota was shot at a chemist shop in Mansa town and rushed to the local civil hospital, where doctors declared he was brought dead. The assailants fled the spot. The Police received information about the incident at around 10:30 a.m. Preliminary investigation has revealed that Ashwani, a chemist shop owner, allegedly fired at Jhota with his licensed pistol, resulting in his death.

A purported video showed Jhota in confrontation with the accused at the medical store over the alleged sale of illicit drugs. Parts of the shooting were recorded in the video, as the accused could be seen brandishing a weapon and firing. After the incident, scores of people staged a protest outside Mansa Civil Hospital and shops were also closed in the town. The medical store of the accused was vandalised by protesters.

On Wednesday (October 14, 2026), Punjab AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu claimed that the main accused had been arrested by Punjab police.

Assuring that police teams were working to apprehend all those involved in the case, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harjeet Singh said, “Preliminary investigation indicates that the murder stemmed from personal enmity. An incident involving the two individuals had also taken place in 2023, and this previous dispute is being examined as part of the investigation,” said the DIG.

The feud between Jhota and the accused goes back to July 2023, when Jhota allegedly garlanded the chemist with shoes, accusing him of selling illicit drugs. “The FIR has been registered in the present case and investigation was underway,” he added.

A former boxer, Jhota (45), launched a campaign against drug abuse in Mansa in 2023. After seeking guidance from farmer union leaders, he started the “Nasha Roko, Rozgaar Do” (Stop Drugs, Give Employment) campaign. Along with his supporters, he raided chemist shops and homes suspected of selling illicit drugs and counselled people against selling or consuming them.