Slain Punjab anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota cremated in Mansa

The mortal remains of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota were brought to his native place in Mansa on Sunday for his last rites. Jhota was shot dead in broad daylight on October 13 at a medical store in a busy Mansa marketplace after confronting the owner over selling addictive drugs to an elderly man. The store owner was arrested following the shooting.

Funeral And Family Appeal

Jhota's body arrived in Mansa after a post-mortem was conducted on Saturday at PGIMER in Chandigarh. A large number of people gathered at his home to pay their final respects before the cremation at his fields on Chakerian Road. His father, Bhim Singh, urged the youth of Punjab to pledge against drug abuse.

Agitation And Demands

The arrival of the body followed the end of a 22-day protest by Jhota's family and the joint action committee, which was formed after the murder. The family had earlier staged an agitation and demanded the immediate transfer of Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Chaudhary. Two JAC members, Lakhvir Singh and Mohanjit Singh Sheron, were arrested on October 28 during the protests and later released from Nabha district jail on the evening of November 5. The release followed a November 4 meeting between protesters and government representatives, including Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian.

Political Row And Probe

Jhota's murder took place while he was hosting a Facebook Live session and sparked a political controversy in Punjab, where polls are scheduled for early next year. Opposition parties criticized the Mann government over law and order and the drug issue, while the JAC demanded the resignations of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. The Punjab government handed over the investigation to the CBI, suspended a station house officer, a deputy superintendent of police, and a drug inspector, and agreed to demands including setting up a trauma centre named after Jhota, providing compensation to four injured persons, and installing his statue at a park or stadium.

Context

Drug abuse and the illicit sale of medical substances remain major public safety issues in border states like Punjab, frequently drawing intense political debate and citizen-led activism. Activists who confront local drug networks often face grave personal risks in their communities. Public pressure in high-profile cases routinely leads to government inquiries, administrative suspensions, and state-level political confrontations.