Punjabi Artists Back Parvinder Singh Jhota Family After Mansa Killing

Punjabi singers and actors have paused shows, delayed releases and joined protests after anti-drug activist and singer Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead in Mansa on October 13. The killing has triggered state-wide anger, big public protests and a widespread shutdown across Punjab.

The support has spread across the industry. Balkaur Singh Sidhu, father of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala, postponed his Signed to God Tour shows in Canada and the United States, while actor Neeru Bajwa put the release of her Punjabi film Thaapi on hold, Indian Express reported. Punjabi singer R Nait also visited the protest in Mansa on Monday.

Jhota was killed during a confrontation with a local medical store owner. His murder has now become a wider flashpoint over drug abuse, policing and demands for accountability. Artists have rallied behind Jhota’s family and backed the call for justice.

Tour And Film Delays

Balkaur Singh Sidhu halted his tour. He announced that the Signed to God Tour would be temporarily postponed because of the situation in Punjab and the protests after Jhota’s death.

“For me, my constituency, Mansa and my Punjab always come first,” Balkaur Singh said, while apologising to supporters in Calgary and the United States for not meeting them as planned. His decision added to the solidarity campaign around the protests in Mansa.

Neeru Bajwa and her team also paused Thaapi amid grief and unrest in Punjab. “Whatever we are today, it is because of Punjab and Punjabiyat. Cinema is for the people. It can never be greater than the people,” Bajwa wrote on social media. “We stand with Punjab in every way, we stood with Punjab, and we will continue to stand with Punjab,” Bajwa said. The film is a Punjabi sports drama that released in theatres on October 16.

Artists Visit Mansa

More artists reached Mansa. Babbu Maan visited the dharna on Sunday to pay his respects and offer condolences to Jhota’s father, Fauji Bhim Singh.

Maan said Sri Akal Takht Sahib had honoured Jhota with the status of a martyr. He also praised Bhim Singh for remaining steadfast through the family’s grief. Maan urged Punjabis to focus on their communities and Punjab’s well-being instead of getting drawn into social media disputes.

He also warned against turning the protest into a photo opportunity. Maan said the drug menace had affected almost every household in Punjab. Later on Sunday, Ranjit Bawa met Jhota’s bereaved family in Mansa and highlighted the long-running problem of drug trafficking in the state. Bawa called for communities to unite at the grassroots level to fight addiction and demand accountability.

Aftermath And Demands

The fallout turned violent. After the murder was broadcast, an angry mob gathered at the pharmacy, used a bulldozer to demolish the shop and set the remains on fire.

Punjab authorities later demolished part of the accused chemist’s house, citing unauthorised construction. The Mansa station house officer was suspended over administrative and regulatory lapses linked to earlier complaints against the chemist. The accused, Ashwani Kumar, fled Punjab but police arrested him in Salasar, Rajasthan.

Diljit Dosanjh also backed the family. “Shaheed Parvinder Singh. The entire Punjab is with the family in this hour of grief. The family should get justice,” Dosanjh wrote on Instagram. Jhota was shot in broad daylight inside a medical store in a busy marketplace in Mansa on October 13 after he questioned the sale of addictive drugs to an elderly man. The incident took place while he was hosting a Facebook Live.

Six days after the killing, Jhota’s post-mortem and cremation had still not taken place because his family and supporters were protesting and refusing last rites until justice is delivered. A joint action committee formed after his murder has demanded a CBI probe and the resignations of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. R Nait, whose song “Dabda Kithe A” was used by Mann as a campaign anthem during election rallies, joined the protest on Monday.