In a grim turn of events in Punjab’s Mansa district, the individual accused of fatally shooting anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, popularly known as Jhota, had himself been publicly humiliated by Jhota over three years prior. Ashwani Kumar, the chemist shop owner now arrested for Jhota’s murder, was allegedly paraded through a Mansa market in July 2023 with a garland of shoes around his neck. The incident, which led to a case being registered against both men, has resurfaced following Jhota’s killing on Tuesday.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the 2023 incident involved Jhota and his supporters apprehending a man they accused of selling banned pharmaceutical capsules. According to reports, they followed the individual to Ashwani Kumar’s chemist shop, claiming to have discovered illegal drugs there. Subsequently, Kumar was allegedly paraded through the market with the shoe garland before being taken to the police station, where Jhota lodged a complaint against him.
Following the circulation of videos depicting the public humiliation on social media, police registered an FIR against Ashwani Kumar based on Jhota’s complaint. However, authorities also initiated a case against Parvinder Jhota for allegedly taking the law into his own hands and engaging in vigilantism. This prior incident has now gained renewed attention in the wake of Jhota’s murder at a local drug store.
Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vaibhav Chaudhary described the Tuesday incident as tragic, acknowledging the deceased as a social worker. The SSP assured the public that the accused would be apprehended within 24 hours and stated that an investigation was underway to determine whether the weapon used in the crime was legal or illegal.
Following the shooting, supporters of Jhota gathered in large numbers at the Civil Hospital, raising slogans against the police administration. A significant deployment of police personnel was put in place to manage the situation and maintain law and order in the area. The father of the deceased expressed his determination not to cremate his son’s body until justice was served, demanding the immediate dismissal of the Punjab government and appealing to the Central Government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah to address the escalating violence against anti-drug activists in the state.
Jhota’s supporters subsequently commenced a protest at Bara Hatta Chowk in Mansa, further intensifying the public outcry over the incident. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation by the Punjab police.
The Chenab Times News Desk