Mansa activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead by man he once paraded with shoe garland in 2023
Mansa killing: The killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, alias Jhota, has brought an old incident back into focus. The man accused of shooting him, Ashwani Kumar, is the same person Jhota had paraded through a Mansa market three years ago with a garland of shoes around his neck.
Jhota was shot dead at a drug store in Mansa on Tuesday.
What happened in 2023
A video from July 2023 shows Jhota and his supporters catching a man who was allegedly selling banned capsules. They followed him to a shop from where he was reportedly getting the drugs. They claimed to have found banned medicines there and then paraded the shop owner, Ashwani Kumar, through the market.
They later took him to the police station and filed a complaint. The police registered an FIR against Ashwani on Jhota’s complaint. But once the videos went viral on social media, the police also booked Jhota for allegedly taking the law into his own hands.
Police promise arrest in 24 hours
Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary called the incident tragic and described Jhota as a social worker. He said the accused would be arrested within 24 hours. The police are also checking whether the weapon used was licensed or illegal.
Supporters protest, family refuses cremation
Large numbers of Jhota’s supporters gathered at the Civil Hospital and shouted slogans against the police. Heavy police force was deployed to keep the situation under control. Later, supporters began a protest at Bara Hatta Chowk in Mansa.
Jhota’s father said the family will not cremate the body until they get justice. He demanded the dismissal of the Punjab Government and urged the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to take notice. “Anti-drug activists are being shot dead in the open,” he said.
Also Read | Parvinder Jhota murder: Opposition targets AAP government over drug menace, collapsing law and order
- PTC NEWS
