Parvinder Singh Jhota murder case: CBI takes over probe, team reaches Punjab’s Mansa

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, officials said on Wednesday (October 21, 2026). This comes a day after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said his government will be handing over the case as per the family’s demand.

The CBI team reached Mansa police station on Tuesday night (October 20, 2026) to take over records and seizures. A formal letter in this regard was issued to the police, officials said.

Jhota’s family is expected to reach Mansa Circuit House at 11.30 a.m. today after which the CBI team, led by senior DIG, will be examining them.

Forensic experts, drug controllers and other experts are also reaching Mansa shortly, according to the CBI.

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 on October 13.

Ashwani Kumar, the store owner who opened fire at Jhota after he questioned him for selling drugs to an elderly man, was taken into custody from Rajasthan’s Salasar. 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.

Jhota’s post-mortem and cremation are yet to take place.The AAP and the police had so far been asserting that Jhota’s murder stemmed from “personal enmity.

On Tuesday (October 20, 2026), Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Jhota’s family in Mansa during his day-long visit to meet the kin of those who recently lost their lives after speaking out against the drug menace in the State.