Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota shot dead during Facebook live in Punjab

Highlights:

• Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot during a Facebook Live session.
• The activist confronted a chemist over alleged illegal drug sales.
• Jhota repeatedly challenged the shop owner before gunfire erupted.
• The accused shop owner fled after the shooting, according to the report.
• Opposition leaders questioned Punjab’s law-and-order situation and anti-drug campaign.

Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead during a Facebook Live session in Punjab’s Mansa on Tuesday after confronting a medical shop owner over the alleged illegal sale of addictive drugs. The confrontation escalated into a heated argument before the shopkeeper allegedly opened fire, killing Jhota as the recording continued.

“Maar mujhe, maar mujhe (kill me, kill me),” anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota repeatedly told a medical shop owner moments before he was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa on Tuesday (13).

Jhota had confronted the shopkeeper over alleged illegal sales of addictive substances. The confrontation unfolded during a live session on his Facebook account, turning what began as an accusation into a fatal shooting captured on video.

In the recording, Jhota stood beside an elderly man who allegedly bought drugs from the shop. A heated argument followed, with the shopkeeper seen holding a pistol as Jhota questioned why he had kept the weapon.

Jhota also asked the shopkeeper to show CCTV footage and told his associates to call the police and gather more people. When the shopkeeper asked the elderly man whether he had taken drugs from him, Jhota responded that they had a recording.

The argument continued for around four minutes before the shopkeeper allegedly opened fire. Jhota was killed, and his phone fell to the ground, bringing the live recording to an end.

The shop owner was on the run, according to the report.

An activist known for exposing drug sales

Jhota had spent several years campaigning against drug abuse and alleged illegal sales of intoxicating substances through medical stores in Mansa and nearby areas. With more than 24,000 Facebook followers, he became known for posting videos of his confrontations and interventions.

His activism had also brought controversy. In July 2023, a dispute reportedly broke out between Jhota, his supporters and a medical store owner. Police registered cases against Jhota and some associates on allegations including assault, trespass and rioting. He was arrested that month and released two months later.

His death now places renewed attention on the risks surrounding direct confrontations with alleged offenders, as well as the question of how illegal pharmaceutical sales are monitored and prevented.

Political fallout over Punjab’s anti-drug campaign

The killing quickly became a political issue, with BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders criticising the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Punjab’s flagship anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh, came under scrutiny as opposition leaders questioned whether enforcement was keeping pace with the alleged illegal supply of addictive substances.

BJP leader Sunil Jakhar said the murder had exposed problems with the government’s campaign and questioned whether stopping illegal sales of medicines was the responsibility of drug inspectors.

Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring described the killing as a consequence of what he called the government’s failed law-and-order and anti-drug efforts. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also questioned what concrete action had been taken to control pharmaceutical drugs and how much illicit supply had been seized.

There was no immediate reaction from AAP leaders, according to the report.

The questions left behind

Jhota’s killing has brought two connected issues into focus: the alleged sale of addictive medicines through chemist shops and the effectiveness of the agencies responsible for regulating them.

His final confrontation was recorded on Facebook, but the wider questions extend beyond the video. How are suspected illegal sales investigated? What protection is available to people who report them? And what accountability exists when enforcement fails?

The answers will depend on the police investigation and evidence gathered in the case. For now, Jhota’s death has intensified scrutiny of Punjab’s continuing struggle with drug abuse and the enforcement systems intended to tackle it.