An anti-drug activist, identified as Parvinder Singh Jhota, was shot dead by a medical store owner after he questioned him for allegedly selling drugs in Punjab's Mansa.
Jhota was well known for exposing the illegal sale of addictive drugs at medical shops. Locals said that Jhota was seen questioning the chemist outside his shop for "selling drugs" during a live session on his Facebook account.
In the video, he was seen standing along with an elderly man and claimed that he had brought drugs from the shop. Following the heated argument between Jhota and the shop owner, the latter was later seen holding a pistol in the video.
Jhota kept on telling the owner, "Maar mujhe , maar mujhe (kill me)." He also questioned the shop owner about keeping a pistol with him.
In the video, Jhota can be heard asking the shopkeeper to show the CCTV footage.
When asked whether the elderly man took "drugs" from him, Jhota responded by saying, "We have the recording".
The heated argument continued before the shopkeeper opened fire, killing Jhota.
The shop owner is currently on the run.
Former Punjab Deputy CM and president of Shiromani Akali Dal Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed his shock over the incident.
"I am profoundly shocked to learn about the merciless killing of Parvinder Singh Jhota by a drug trafficker...This heinous murder is a stark reminder that law and order has ceased to exist in Punjab. The deceased had been continuously raising his voice against the drug menace, but no one took heed, and no one supported him," he said.
Recent events have exposed how the Guru-Dokhi Bhagwant Mann-led AAP dispensation is completely engrossed in looting Punjab and draining the state's resources to enrich itself, he added.
Jhota has been an active anti-drug activist in Mansa and surrounding areas for several years. He has raised his voice against drug abuse and alleged illegal sales of intoxicating substances through certain medical stores.
He first came into the spotlight in 2023 following a controversy involving a medical store owner. On July 12 that year, a dispute reportedly broke out between Jhota and his supporters and a shopkeeper.
Police registered cases against Jhota and some of his associates following the controversy. He was arrested in July 2023, on allegations including assault, trespass and rioting. He was released two months later.
