Parvinder Singh, popularly known as Jhota, was an anti-drug activist from Mansa, Punjab, who rose to prominence for confronting suspected drug sellers and exposing the alleged illegal sale of addictive medicines. A former freestyle kabaddi player, he formed an Anti-Drug Task Force and launched the ‘Nasha Roko, Rozgar Do’ campaign to mobilise villages against drug abuse and promote employment. Jhota gained a following on social media, where he shared videos of confrontations with alleged drug dealers. His activism also brought him into conflict with the police over accusations of taking the law into his own hands. He was shot dead at a chemist shop in Mansa while confronting its owner over the alleged sale of drugs.
Parvinder Singh Jhota was cremated in Punjab after his murder sparked controversy over drug control and law enforcement.
The body of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota has been brought to PGIMER in Chandigarh for a postmortem examination after his family and the Punjab government reached a consensus. Jhota was shot dead in a chemist shop on October 13 in Mansa. Following prolonged protests and sit-ins by the Insaf Morcha and his family, the government provided financial assistance of around two crore rupees and released certain detained individuals. The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the murder case and has visited the crime scene. Meanwhile, the family continues to demand the transfer of the Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police.
The Punjab government has reached an agreement with the family of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, ending a prolonged standoff. Under the settlement, the state government will provide two crore rupees in compensation and a government job to Jhota's wife, while criminal cases registered against his family and anti-drug task force members will be withdrawn. The authorities also agreed to release arrested activists and drop cases linked to torn government posters. Following extensive discussions involving Punjab Vidhan Sabha representatives and the Agriculture Minister, the family has consented to the postmortem examination at PGI Chandigarh on 6 November, to be followed by the cremation, while the Central Bureau of Investigation continues its probe into the murder.
Delhi's air quality deteriorated sharply at the onset of Diwali week, with several monitoring stations recording severe pollution levels, including Wazirpur at 424 and Jahangirpuri at 417. The citywide average Air Quality Index breached the 300 mark, prompting authorities to consider invoking GRAP Stage 2 measures. Implementation of the winter action plan faced compliance challenges across commercial hubs like Connaught Place and Lajpat Nagar, despite restrictions on non-compliant BS6 vehicles entering from neighbouring NCR areas, bans on non-emergency construction, and fuel supply restrictions for vehicles lacking valid PUC certificates. Meanwhile, Gurugram announced anti-pollution curbs, including construction bans and a 50 percent work-from-home mandate for offices. The bulletin also covered Rahul Gandhi's open debate challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged foreign backing, Reliance Foundation's unveiling of the 100-acre Anant Ashray care township in Karjat, and the political fallout in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab following recent developments.
In a major political development ahead of the upcoming elections in Punjab, two rebel Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, Harmeet Singh and Chetan Singh, have resigned from the party and mounted sharp attacks against the Bhagwant Mann government. Speaking to India Today, the legislators accused the administration of failing to control the state's drug menace and fulfil guarantees made by Arvind Kejriwal regarding healthcare, education, and farmers. They cited unaddressed grievances, including the murder of anti-drug activist Jhota and persisting drug hotspots in constituencies like Samana, as primary triggers for stepping down. Rejecting allegations of dissatisfaction solely over ticket distribution, the MLAs stated that issues raised in the assembly had gone unheeded. Highlighting deteriorating law and order, extortion by gangsters, and traders struggling over pending goods and services tax refunds, the departing leaders claimed rampant public distress under the current governance in Punjab.
A political showdown erupted outside the Punjab Legislative Assembly over the drug crisis and deteriorating law and order in the state. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sunil Jakhar brought the family of an aggrieved victim to the assembly premises, prompting security personnel and police to escort them out. The incident sparked intense sparring between opposition parties and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. While opposition leaders highlighted the killings of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and youth Ajay from Abohar, AAP MLA Goldy Kamboj defended the Bhagwant Mann administration, stating that the state government immediately referred the Jhota case to the Central Bureau of Investigation upon the family's demand. Kamboj also questioned the central government's vigilance across border areas regarding drug smuggling from across the border. Meanwhile, proceedings inside the Punjab Assembly were adjourned shortly after paying obituaries, cutting the scheduled full-day sitting short amid intense political tensions.
Speaking after visiting the families of three anti-drug activists who lost their lives in Gurdaspur, Sangrur, and Mansa, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a direct attack on the AAP government over the spreading drug menace in Punjab. Addressing the public on Vijayadashami, Amit Shah stated, '31 दिसंबर 2029 को हम देश से और विशेषकर पंजाब से नशे को समाप्त कर कर पंजाब और देश को नशा मुक्त बनाएंगे।' He questioned why Punjab registered zero arrests under the stringent PIT-NDPS provisions despite 929 arrests nationwide. Amit Shah urged the Bhagwant Mann government to hand over the remaining two drug-related death investigations to the CBI, noting that one inquiry had already been transferred. Highlighting national anti-narcotics efforts, Shah affirmed that the Narendra Modi government remains dedicated to securing a drug-free India.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Punjab to meet families of anti-drug activists who were attacked or killed while confronting the state's pervasive drug nexus. Shah visited locations including Gurdaspur, Sangrur, and Mansa, where he met Bhim Singh, the father of slain activist Parvinder Singh Jhota. Jhota was shot dead after confronting a chemist allegedly dealing in illicit narcotics. The visit sparked sharp focus on the state's law and order situation, cross-border smuggling via drones, and systemic police-political nexus in drug distribution. Residents in Mansa voiced severe frustration over widespread drug peddling and administrative lapses. Following mounting public pressure and the Home Minister's visit, the murder investigation was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation with state government approval.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Punjab to meet the families of anti-drug activists who died after speaking out against the narcotics trade. Shah met the family of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur, who died by suicide after alleging intense harassment and pressure for confronting authorities over local drug sales. The Home Minister also visited the kin of Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur and anti-drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, who was shot dead inside a chemist store during a Facebook livestream. Ahead of Shah's arrival, the Punjab government announced it would transfer the investigation into Jhota's murder to the Central Bureau of Investigation following protests from the victim's family and supporters. The deaths have triggered a major political flashpoint between the Aam Aadmi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Congress ahead of the assembly elections, with opposition parties criticising the deteriorating law and order situation and cross-border drug influx.
