Chandigarh:
An anti-drug activist was on Tuesday shot dead by a medical store owner after he confronted him for allegedly selling drugs in Punjab's Mansa.
The activist, Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was known for exposing the illegal sale of addictive drugs at chemist shops, was seen questioning the chemist outside his store for "selling drugs" during a live session on his Facebook account.
In a five-minute video, Jhota was seen standing along side an elderly man, claiming that he had bought drugs from the shop.
A heated argument then broke out between Jhota and the shop owner, who was seen holding a pistol in the video.
"Maar mujhe, maar mujhe (kill me, kill me)," he kept telling the owner.
"Why have you kept a pistol," he asks the owner.
He was also heard telling his associates to call the police and gather more men.
In the video, Jhota can be heard asking the shopkeeper to show the CCTV footage.
The shopkeeper then asked the elderly man whether he took 'drugs' from him, to which Jhota responds, "Yes, we have the recording".
The argument continued for around four minutes before the shopkeeper opened fire, killing Jhota.
(Disclaimer: Disturbing video)
Jhota's mobile phone then fell to the ground, ending the live recording.
The shop owner is on the run.
Jhota Had Been Campaigning Against Drug Abuse
Jhota had been active in Mansa and surrounding areas for several years, raising his voice against drug abuse and alleged illegal sales of intoxicating substances through certain medical stores.
Jhots, who had over 24,000 followers on Faceebook, had gained prominence through videos of his interventions, which circulated widely on social media.
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He first came into the spotlight in 2023 following a controversy involving a medical store owner. On July 12 that year, a dispute reportedly broke out between Jhota and his supporters and a shopkeeper.
Police registered cases against Jhota and some of his associates following the controversy. He was arrested in July 2023, on allegations including assault, trespass and rioting. He was released two months later.
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The latest killing has once again brought the issue of drug abuse and alleged illegal sales of intoxicating substances in poll-bound Punjab into focus.