Punjab Bandh Over Jhota Murder: Markets Shut, Schools Close As Protesters Demand CBI Probe

Markets remained shut in several parts of Punjab and private schools declared holidays on Thursday, October 15, as political parties, farmer organisations and other groups backed a statewide bandh over the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh ‘Jhota’ in Mansa.

The bandh was called by Jhota’s family and a joint action committee formed after his killing, with support from the Congress, BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and other farmers’ and government employees’ unions. Protesters have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, accountability from the state administration and action against officials they accuse of failing to curb the drug menace.

Jhota was shot dead in a busy Mansa marketplace on Tuesday, October 13. The alleged shooter, medical store owner Ashwani Kumar, was arrested in Rajasthan on Wednesday.

What Happened To Parvinder Singh Jhota?

Jhota was known for campaigning against drug abuse and the alleged illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops in Punjab. He was shot while hosting a Facebook Live and confronting a medical store owner over the sale of addictive substances to an elderly man.

The firing left Jhota dead and injured at least four other people, two of whom were shifted to Ludhiana for treatment after suffering serious injuries.

According to news reports, the chemist shop at the centre of the confrontation had been raided at least a dozen times over five years by local police and Punjab’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Its licence, issued in the name of Kumar, had reportedly been suspended at least three times in the preceding three years.

Sources cited by the publication said the crackdowns largely followed complaints and inputs from Jhota, who had campaigned against the sale of prescription drugs such as pregabalin and tramadol.

The police have cited a personal rivalry as a possible motive for the killing, according to the report. Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, has rejected this explanation and alleged a wider conspiracy.

Who Has Been Arrested?

Ashwani Kumar, the medical store owner accused of shooting Jhota, was arrested in a joint operation by the Punjab and Rajasthan Police on Wednesday.

According to Salasar police station house officer Shankar Lal Bhari, the accused was apprehended at Shri Ganganagar Dharamshala near the Salasar Balaji Temple in Rajasthan, where he was reportedly hiding in disguise. The Punjab Police subsequently took him into custody.

Jhota’s father has alleged that Kumar, along with shop employees and other people who were in contact with him, conspired to kill his son. The Punjab Police registered a report based on his complaint on Wednesday. These allegations are subject to investigation.

Meanwhile, an agitated crowd in Mansa reportedly set fire to the accused’s shop and demolished his house using heavy machinery, amid a heavy police deployment.

Why Was A Punjab Bandh Called?

Jhota’s family and a joint action committee comprising organisations and social activists called for a statewide shutdown on October 15, demanding justice and a thorough investigation into the killing.

The family has demanded a CBI probe and called on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav to resign on moral grounds. The joint action committee has also sought the removal of the Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Station House Officer and drug inspector.

The demands come amid allegations that authorities failed to act decisively against the illegal sale of addictive substances despite repeated complaints and enforcement action involving the medical store.

Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, urged political parties, farmers’ organisations, activists and the public to support the bandh. The shutdown received backing from parties across the political spectrum, including the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal.

What Was The Impact Of The Bandh?

Markets and shops remained closed in several areas, including Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Ferozepur. Many private schools in Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Moga and Mansa declared holidays, while schools in some areas shifted to online classes.

Protesters blocked the Bathinda-Mansa road near Bhaini Bagha village. A toll plaza in Patiala was also made toll-free amid the shutdown.

In Amritsar, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, led by farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, staged a demonstration against the state government at the Golden Gate and burnt an effigy of the chief minister.

Pandher accused the Mann government of failing to tackle the drug menace and demanded the resignations of the chief minister and DGP. Farmer organisations also announced a symbolic ‘arthi dahan’ of the state government, followed by a march.

Emergency services remained operational. Police said adequate personnel had been deployed to maintain law and order and prevent protesters from forcibly shutting businesses.

Jaskaran Singh Teja, Deputy Commissioner of Police (City), said shopkeepers could decide whether to close their establishments voluntarily and that the police would not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands.

What Has The Punjab Government Said?

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has promised the strictest punishment for those responsible for Jhota’s murder and reiterated his government’s zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking.

Mann has appealed to people to maintain peace and said anyone found conspiring in the matter would not be spared.

Opposition leaders, however, have accused the government of failing to maintain law and order and curb the drug trade. Congress leaders, including newly appointed Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, joined protests following Jhota’s killing and criticised the state government.

The killing has also intensified political scrutiny of the government’s anti-drug campaign ahead of Punjab’s Assembly elections, scheduled for early 2027.

What Happens Next?

The immediate demands centre on a CBI investigation into Jhota’s killing, accountability for the officials named by the joint action committee and action against those found responsible.

The investigation will have to establish the circumstances leading to the shooting, examine the allegations made by Jhota’s family and determine whether anyone else was involved.

The bandh has turned the activist’s killing into a wider public debate over drug abuse, enforcement against the illegal sale of addictive substances and accountability within Punjab’s administration.