Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Hands Over Jhota Murder Probe To CBI Ahead Of Amit Shah’s Visit

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced that the state government would hand over the investigation into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, alias Jhota, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), accepting a key demand of the victim’s family.

The announcement came hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to Punjab, where he is due to meet Jhota’s family in Mansa at 3.45 pm. The activist was shot dead inside a medical store in a busy Mansa market on October 13 while broadcasting live on Facebook.

“We stand firmly with the father of Parvinder Singh Jhota and his family. Accepting the demand of the family, we are handing over this case to the CBI. Our fight against drug peddlers is all-out, and we will not back down from whatever drastic steps we have to take to make Punjab drug-free,” Mann said in a post in Punjabi on X.

Jhota Murder: Family Refuses Last Rites, Protests Continue

Jhota was known for campaigning against the illegal sale of habit-forming pharmaceutical drugs. According to reports, the suspected shooter, medical store owner Ashwani Kumar, allegedly opened fire after Jhota confronted him over the sale of drugs to an elderly man. Police arrested Kumar in Rajasthan’s Salasar following the incident.

The murder triggered widespread outrage in Mansa, with social organisations, political groups and local supporters joining hands under a Joint Action Committee, also known as the Insaaf Committee.

Seven days after the killing, Jhota’s body remained uncremated. His father, Bhim Singh, a former serviceman, had said on October 13 that the family would not permit a post-mortem examination or conduct the last rites until the government formally agreed to a CBI investigation.

Protesters have also demanded the resignations of Mann and Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, along with the dismissal of the Mansa senior superintendent of police, deputy superintendent of police, station house officer and the local drug inspector.

In an attempt to resolve the standoff, the state government deputed a three-member panel of women bureaucrats to meet the family and Insaaf Committee members on Monday evening and receive their charter of demands.

Amit Shah To Meet Families Of Three Victims During Punjab Visit

Shah’s visit comes amid growing political tensions over drug-related violence in Punjab, with the issue emerging as a major point of confrontation ahead of the next Assembly elections.

Apart from meeting Jhota’s family in Mansa, the Union home minister is scheduled to visit Dirba in Sangrur to meet the family of a daily-wage worker who died on September 8. The death triggered a political controversy after the worker had publicly questioned Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema over the alleged local sale of drugs.

Shah will also travel to Mari Panwan village in Batala, Gurdaspur, to offer condolences to the family of Bikramjit Singh, who was allegedly killed on October 15 after confronting drug peddlers.

The three visits are expected to keep the spotlight on drug trafficking and alleged failures to curb the trade in Punjab, as the state government faces pressure from victims’ families and political opponents.