Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday condemned the murder of Punjab anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa district and termed the incident “highly condemnable”.
Taking to X, Mann wrote, “The tragic incident that occurred yesterday in Mansa district is highly condemnable.
The youth of Punjab is our asset, and any tampering with the law and order situation in the state will not be tolerated at any cost.”
He further informed that instructions have been issued to the police to take strict action in connection to the matter. “Strict action as per the law will be ensured against those who take the law into their own hands,” he added in his post.
Punjab Witnesses Outrage Over Anti-Drug Activist’s Murder
The murder of Punjab anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota has triggered outrage in Mansa district of Punjab, where an angry crowd set fire to the accused’s shop on Wednesday, even as the administration began demolishing his house.
Jhota was known for campaigning against drug abuse and the alleged illegal sale of addictive medicines in Mansa and surrounding areas. He had confronted chemist shop owners over suspected sales of such substances.
On Tuesday (October 13), Jhota went to a medical store with his associates after receiving information about the alleged sale of addictive medicines. During a Facebook Live session, he questioned the shop owner over the alleged sale of drugs to an elderly man. The confrontation escalated, and the shop owner pulled out a firearm and shot him.
The activist was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.