Demand for CBI Investigation into the Murder of Anti-Drug Activist in Punjab

Chandigarh, October 15 (Daily Kiran) : In Chandigarh, calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota have intensified. A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, urging the transfer of the case from local authorities to the CBI, with the court overseeing the investigation.

Following the incident, the local police suspended woman inspector Beant Kaur from City-1 police station due to public outrage and family grievances over Jhota’s death. The petitioner has raised several issues, including the issuance of a drug license to the accused, despite their criminal background, and alleged police negligence in responding to Jhota’s emergency calls.

Parvinder Singh, 45, known as Jhota, was a former freestyle kabaddi player and a resident of Mansa. He had established an ‘Anti-Drug Task Force‘ and frequently posted videos on Facebook exposing illegal drug sales at local medical stores, garnering around 63,000 followers. In July 2023, he accused Ashwani Kumar, the owner of a medical store on Bathinda Road in Mansa, of selling banned narcotic capsules. Jhota’s complaint led to a case against Kumar, who was also arrested in a counter-case.

On October 13, Jhota filmed a person leaving Kumar’s store with narcotic capsules. He began recording and questioned the accused while calling the police, but they failed to arrive promptly. During this confrontation, Kumar shot at Jhota, injuring him and four of his companions—Kulwinder Singh, Gobind Singh, Baltej Singh, and Happy. According to Jhota’s father, the accused and his associates pursued and shot at his son in broad daylight.

Despite the severity of the incident, police reportedly took 20 to 25 minutes to arrive at the scene, delaying immediate medical assistance for the critically injured Jhota. He was eventually transported to the Civil Hospital in Mansa, where he was pronounced dead.

The PIL also challenges the legitimacy of the drug license held by Kumar. Reports indicate that the drug inspector in Mansa had conducted approximately ten raids on Kumar’s shop over the past four years, leading to the suspension of his license three times and the seizure of narcotics. However, the license was never revoked.

In response to Jhota’s murder, Mansa observed a complete shutdown on October 13, with protesters blocking the Barnala-Sirsa Road at Tinkoni Chowk. On October 14, a crowd vandalized Kumar’s medical store, setting it ablaze and damaging fire-fighting equipment. A call for a statewide shutdown in Punjab was issued for October 15.