Anti-Drug Activist Parvinder Singh Jhota Shot Dead in Mansa; Medical Store Owner Accused

In a shocking incident in Mansa, Punjab, Parvinder Singh Jhota—head of the Anti-Drug Task Force—was shot dead on Tuesday morning. According to reports, the brutal crime was allegedly committed by a local medical store owner who fired multiple bullets at point-blank range, leaving the shots piercing straight through Jhota's body. Shockingly, a 5-minute and 48-second live video was streamed on Parvinder Singh Jhota's Facebook page during the incident, in which the sound of gunfire can be clearly heard. Initial information indicates that the video captures Jhota and his associates arguing with the medical shop owner over drug-related issues, which swiftly escalated into fatal gunfire. Parvinder Singh Jhota had been actively campaigning against drug abuse in Mansa for a long time. He not only worked to prevent the sale of narcotics but also actively apprehended peddlers. This aggressive stance frequently led to friction and direct confrontations, and his advocacy had even prompted multiple local village panchayats to pass formal resolutions against drugs. Widely known on social media as "Jhota," he had recently led an extensive campaign accusing several medical stores in Mansa and surrounding areas of illegally selling banned capsules. He maintained that the distribution of these illicit substances was ruining the youth of the region. Previously, he had publicly targeted a local chemist, allegedly garlanding him with shoes and marching him through the city before getting him handed over to the police. Reports suggest that Tuesday's fatal shooting was carried out by that same chemist. Following this tragic killing, grief and panic have gripped Mansa, with distressed family members mourning at the Civil Hospital. A tense atmosphere currently prevails across the city as authorities monitor the situation.