Parvinder Singh Jhota: Who was the anti-drug activist, why was he killed

Parvinder Singh Jhota, a prominent anti-drug activist, was shot dead in the Mansa district of Punjab on Tuesday (October 13, 2026), sending shock waves and sparking outrage across the State.

Known for raising his voice against the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, Jhota was shot in broad daylight inside a medical store at a busy marketplace in Mansa last week.

Who was Parvinder Singh Jhota?

Parvinder Singh, alias Jhota, had been running a campaign against drug abuse in Mansa and neighbouring areas in Punjab through ‘Nasha Roko, Rozgaar Do’ (stop addiction, give employment) campaign for the past few years.

A star athlete during his school and college years, he got the name ‘Jhota’, meaning bull, as a State-level boxer. As per The Hindu report, he once said he started using chitta, a heroin-based opioid, the first time he went to jail for a street fight. He quit in 2015 after a friend died from an overdose in front of him.

Jhota started the ‘Nasha roko, rozgaar do’ campaign, with the help of Punjab Kisan Union leader Sukhdarshan Singh. Along with his supporters, he raided chemist shops and homes suspected of selling illicit drugs and counselled people against selling or consuming them. His popularity grew, and civilian “Nasha Roko Committees” sprang up in villages across Mansa and Bathinda, carrying out similar searches and raids on suspected drug outlets.

Why was Jhota killed

Jhota, who was known for exposing the illegal sale of addictive drugs at chemist shops, died after being shot at by a medical store owner in Mansa district.

The activist was questioning the medical store owner over the sale of certain drugs to a man, and also recording the argument on his mobile phone, when he was shot at.

Ashwani Kumar, the store owner who allegedly opened fire at Jhota, was taken into custody from Rajasthan’s Salasar.

The Police asserted that preliminary investigation into the murder of Jhota has pointed towards personal enmity as the motive behind the crime. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harjeet Singh then 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.”

The feud between Jhota and the accused goes back to July 2023, when the activist allegedly garlanded the chemist with shoes, accusing him of selling illicit drugs.

What is the latest update in Jhota case

The incident, which took place while Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live, triggered a political slugfest in Punjab, which goes to polls early next year.

The CBI has registered a case into the murder of the anti-drug activist and taken over the investigation. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab announced the CBI probe on October 20, hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Punjab where he also met with Jhota’s family.

Mr. Shah later said he never felt so deeply saddened in life as he did while meeting the family members of those who died in incidents linked to Punjab’s drug menace, slamming the CM Bhagwant Mann-led government and saying it failed to curb the menace.

The post-mortem and cremation are yet to take place as Jhota’s family members and supporters are protesting in Mansa and have refused to allow last rites until justice is delivered.