Punjab anti-drug activist murder: Main accused nabbed from Rajasthan, says sources
Police have arrested Ashwani Kumar in Rajasthan for the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab. The killing has sparked protests and political criticism regarding the state's law and order situation.
Why it matters
The murder of a prominent anti-drug activist highlights the dangerous environment for social reformers and creates significant political pressure on the regional government.
The medical store owner who allegedly shot dead an anti-drug activist in Punjab's Mansa district has been nabbed from Rajasthan, sources said on Wednesday (October 14, 2026).
Accused Ashwani Kumar has been taken into custody from Salasar, they further said.
Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was murdered in broad daylight on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) after confronting the accused, who was running a medical shop, for allegedly selling drugs to an elderly man.
The incident was captured on camera during a live Facebook session hosted by Jhota.
After murdering Jhota, Kumar fled, and police launched a manhunt to nab him.
Jhota is known for raising his voice against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops.
The shooting incident left Mansa town simmering with tension as the activist's supporters vandalised the medical shop, and Jhota's family refused to cremate his body in protest.
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