The murder of Parvinder Singh, popularly known as Jhota, has brought Punjab’s drug problem and law-and-order situation into focus. The anti-drug activist was shot dead at a chemist shop in Mansa on October 13, 2026, while questioning the owner over the alleged sale of addictive drugs. Four of his companions were also injured in the firing.
The confrontation was streamed live on Jhota’s Facebook page, capturing the moments before shots were fired. The case has also brought renewed attention to a dispute between Jhota and the shop owner dating back to 2023.
Who was Parwinder Singh Jhota?
Jhota was a former freestyle kabaddi player from Mansa who became known for his campaign against drug abuse. He formed an Anti-Drug Task Force and confronted people suspected of selling illegal or addictive substances, subsequently taking them to the police.
He also launched the ‘Nasha Roko, Rozgar Do’ (Stop Drugs, Provide Employment) campaign, encouraging villages to organise against drug abuse. His efforts reportedly inspired several village-level committees in the Mansa and Bathinda regions, with panchayats passing resolutions against drugs.
However, his confrontational methods also brought him into conflict with the police, including a case linked to an incident in 2023.
What happened during the fatal shooting?
According to reports, Jhota visited a chemist shop in Mansa with his companions on Tuesday morning to question the owner about the alleged sale of certain drugs to a man.
Jhota was recording the confrontation on his mobile phone and streaming it live on Facebook. In the nearly six-minute video, he could reportedly be heard saying that the shop owner had taken out a pistol before shots were fired.
The firing left Jhota and four companions injured. All five were taken to the Civil Hospital in Mansa, where doctors declared Jhota brought dead.
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 bullet pierced his liver, leading to his death. One of the injured companions was reported to be in critical condition.
The police identified the chemist shop owner, Ashwani Kumar, as the main accused and launched a search for him.
What was the 2023 dispute between Jhota and Ashwani Kumar?
The alleged rivalry between the two men dates back to July 2023.
According to reports, Jhota and his supporters had caught a man suspected of selling banned capsules and followed him to a shop from where he was allegedly obtaining the drugs. They claimed to have found banned substances at the premises and accused the shop owner, Ashwani Kumar, of selling them.
Jhota and his supporters allegedly paraded Kumar through a Mansa market with a garland of shoes around his neck before taking him to the police station.
An FIR was registered against Kumar on the basis of Jhota’s complaint. However, after videos of the incident circulated on social media, police also registered a case against Jhota for allegedly taking the law into his own hands.
The 2023 episode has resurfaced following the murder because police have described the relationship between Jhota and the accused as an old personal rivalry
What have police said about the murder investigation?
Bathinda Range DIG Harjeet Singh said the police had made their first arrest in connection with the murder. The arrested person was allegedly involved in helping the main accused, Ashwani Kumar, flee after the shooting. The DIG did not disclose the arrested person's identity.
The officer said police received information about the incident at around 10.30 am on Tuesday. He added that preliminary information suggested a licensed weapon might have been used, although the weapon's status remained under investigation.
The DIG also said the police believed the murder stemmed from an old personal enmity, pointing to the 2023 incident as part of the background. Police teams were formed to track down the main accused, while members of his family were also detained as part of the investigation.
The allegations against the accused remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
Protests erupt; family demands justice
Following Jhota’s death, his supporters gathered at the Civil Hospital and raised slogans against the police. A large police presence was deployed to maintain law and order. Supporters later began a protest at Bara Hatta Chowk in Mansa.
Jhota’s father said the family would not cremate the body until justice was delivered. He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene, alleging that anti-drug activists were being attacked openly.
The killing also prompted political criticism of the Punjab government over law and order.
CM Bhagwant Mann calls high-level meeting
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann convened a high-level meeting to review the state’s law-and-order situation following the murder.
According to sources in the Chief Minister’s Office, Mann directed that district Senior Superintendents of Police, Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Deputy Superintendents of Police be called for a comprehensive discussion. The meeting was intended to review crime control, particularly the handling of murder cases.
The Chief Minister also directed the police to accelerate the investigation and bring those responsible to justice.
What happens next?
The immediate priorities in the case are the arrest of the main accused, the recovery and forensic examination of the weapon, and the collection of evidence from the Facebook Live video and other sources.
Investigators will also need to establish the precise circumstances of the confrontation, examine the alleged personal rivalry and determine whether the claims concerning illegal drug sales have supporting evidence.
Jhota’s killing has placed both Punjab’s anti-drug campaign and the dispute between the activist and the chemist shop owner under renewed scrutiny. While police have linked the murder to an old enmity, the full sequence of events and the criminal responsibility of those involved will have to be established through the investigation and court proceedings.
