Anti-drug activist Parvinder Jhota shot dead in Punjab; four injured

Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh alias Jhota was shot dead by a medical store owner in Mansa, Punjab, on Tuesday morning, while four of his companions sustained bullet injuries. The incident was captured during a live broadcast on Jhota’s Facebook page, triggering criticism of the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’.

A 5-minute-48-second video streamed on Jhota’s Facebook page showed him and his companions arguing with the medical store owner over the alleged sale of intoxicating substances. Jhota ran an organisation called Force and had long campaigned against drug abuse and the illegal sale of intoxicants.

During the broadcast, Jhota questioned the shop owner about the alleged sale of intoxicating substances to an elderly man and asked the man whether he had purchased them from the shop. After the man reportedly confirmed it, the activist asked those present to contact the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and demanded that the shop’s CCTV footage be shown.

An argument followed, with Jhota questioning why the shop owner had allegedly taken out a pistol. He challenged the owner to fire if he intended to do so and continued questioning him about the alleged sale. As a crowd gathered outside the shop, Jhota asked people to maintain their distance, warning them that the shop owner had a pistol.

After around four minutes and 15 seconds of heated exchanges, the shop owner allegedly opened fire at the activist from close range, firing multiple shots that passed through his body. Four of Jhota’s companions were also injured, one of them reportedly seriously.

All five were taken to the Civil Hospital in Mansa, where Jhota was declared brought dead. A large number of people gathered at the hospital following the incident. The medical store owner allegedly shut his shop and fled after the shooting.

Mansa Civil Hospital Senior Medical Officer Dr Gurmail Singh said Jhota had sustained three bullet injuries — two in the abdomen and one in the thigh. “One of the bullets had pierced Parvinder’s liver, leading to his death,” he said, adding that the other injured persons had sustained minor bullet injuries.

Jhota had been at the forefront of the region’s anti-drug campaign for years. Besides raising awareness about substance abuse, he worked to prevent the sale of drugs and confronted people allegedly involved in the trade. His campaign also encouraged several village panchayats to pass formal resolutions against drug use. His efforts frequently led to clashes with suspected drug dealers.

Jhota came into the spotlight in 2023 for campaigning against the alleged illegal sale of intoxicating substances. He had accused certain medical stores in and around Mansa of selling restricted capsules, claiming that the substances were harming young people.

His killing has once again brought the issue of drug abuse and the alleged illegal sale of intoxicants in poll-bound Punjab into focus. The Bhagwant Mann-led government launched its ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign more than a year ago to combat the drug menace.

Political leaders from the BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress condemned the killing and criticised the state government over law and order and its anti-drug campaign.

BJP leader Parminder Singh Brar condemned Jhota’s killing, saying the activist had been fighting to protect Punjab’s youth from drugs.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed shock over the killing in a post on X and alleged that Jhota had been targeted for opposing drug trafficking. He extended his condolences to the bereaved family and criticised the state government’s handling of the drug menace.

“The much-hyped Yudh Nashian Virudh is nothing but a gimmick and has completely failed,” Badal wrote, alleging that the government was neglecting the deteriorating situation in the state. He called for an end to what he described as “jungle raj”.

Former Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also blamed the AAP government for the killing, describing it as a “direct result” of the alleged failure of law and order and the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign.

In a post on X, Warring said Jhota had stood up against Punjab’s drug menace but had not received support from the state government. He said the killing exposed serious failures on the part of the AAP government and extended his condolences to Jhota’s family and supporters.

Warring also recalled briefly meeting Jhota’s father and family in 2023, when Jhota was allegedly falsely accused and arrested. He wished the family strength during the difficult time.

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