Murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Jhota sparks political storm in Punjab
Jhota had been actively fighting against drug trafficking in Mansa and surrounding areas for a long time.
Parvinder Singh Jhota, a social activist campaigning against drugs in Mansa district of Punjab, was shot dead on Tuesday morning, October 13. It is alleged that during an argument over the sale of narcotics at a medical store, the shop owner, Ashwani Kumar, shot him at close range. Jhota's companion was also seriously injured in the shooting and has been admitted to the hospital. The accused fled the scene after the incident.
According to a report by The Tribune, preliminary information suggests that Jhota had arrived at a medical store in the morning. He asked the shop owner who had bought and sold narcotics from the store that morning. This question led to a heated argument between the two. It is alleged that as the argument escalated, Ashwani Kumar pulled out a pistol and fired. Jhota was taken to the civil hospital in Mansa, where doctors declared him dead. Bathinda's DIG Harjeet Singh stated that the accused has been identified and the police are working to arrest him.
Meanwhile, Jhota's supporters began gathering at his home. There is outrage among those associated with his campaign against drugs regarding the incident. The murder has once again raised questions about the sale of narcotics, law and order, and the safety of those who speak out against it in Punjab.
According to the police,
Jhota was live streaming on Facebook at the time. In the video that surfaced, he can be seen questioning the medical store owner about the sale of narcotics. He asks an elderly man if he had bought narcotics from that store. After the elderly man confirms, Jhota demands that the people present call the DSP and show the store's CCTV recording. In the video, Jhota can also be heard asking the shop owner why he pulled out the pistol. During the argument, he challenges him to shoot and repeats questions about the sale. As the crowd outside the store grows, Jhota tells people to maintain distance because the shop owner had a pistol. After about four minutes and 15 seconds of debate, the sound of a gunshot and a mobile phone falling to the ground is heard.
After the murder, the opposition launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's government.
Former Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring alleged that,
Jhota's daylight murder is a result of the state government's failure in law and order and the anti-drug campaign. Warring stated that the government did not support Jhota's campaign. Expressing condolences to the family, Warring mentioned that he had met Jhota's relatives even after his arrest in 2023.
Congress leader Sukhpinder Singh Khaira also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party government. He alleged that,
the murder of a person who raised his voice against drugs indicates how powerful the drug mafia is in Punjab. Khaira described the government's campaign as limited to publicity and accused it of a political-police-drug mafia nexus.
On the other hand, AAP leader Baltej Pannu condemned the murder and assured strict action against the culprits. He stated that initial information points to the involvement of a person running a chemist shop. According to Pannu, no one is allowed to take the law into their own hands in Punjab, and action will be taken against those responsible.
It is noteworthy that Jhota had been active against drugs in Mansa and surrounding areas for a long time. He would directly question suspected sellers and share videos of the conversations on social media. His campaign had intensified discussions against drugs in several villages. However, his confrontational methods had also sparked controversy.
The murder of an activist against drugs in Punjab is not an isolated incident. Ram Gopal, a village head and anti-drug activist from Lakhanpal village in Jalandhar district, was murdered on the night of January 28, 2023. His son and villagers alleged that he provided information to the police about drug sellers and was receiving constant threats. The FIR in the case named six individuals.
In September 2023, Jasveer Singh, a member of the anti-drug committee, also died from a head injury while under surveillance in Sidhan village of Bathinda. Following a complaint from the committee, a murder case was registered and two individuals were arrested. However, the police denied that the accused were drug traffickers, and the circumstances surrounding the injury were unclear.