The main accused in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota has been arrested from Rajasthan, a day after the activist was shot dead in daylight in Punjab’s Mansa district.
Sources on Wednesday said accused Ashwani Kumar, a medical store owner who allegedly shot Jhota, was taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan. The arrest was made during a joint operation by the Punjab and Rajasthan Police.
The development came a day after police arrested an associate who allegedly helped Kumar flee after the murder, news agency PTI reported.
Murder Captured During Facebook Live
Jhota was shot dead on Tuesday after confronting Kumar over the alleged sale of drugs to an elderly man. The incident took place while the activist was hosting a live session on Facebook.
According to sources, Kumar fled after the shooting, prompting police to launch a manhunt to trace him.
Parvinder Singh Jhota was known in Mansa and nearby areas for exposing the alleged illegal sale of addictive drugs at chemist shops. During the Facebook Live session, he was seen questioning the chemist outside his store over allegations of selling drugs.
In the five-minute video, Jhota stood alongside an elderly man and claimed that the man had purchased drugs from the shop.
A heated argument soon broke out between Jhota and the shop owner, who was seen holding a pistol in the video.
The argument continued for around four minutes before the shopkeeper opened fire, killing Jhota.
Long Campaign Against Drug Abuse
Jhota had been actively raising his voice against drug abuse and the alleged illegal sale of intoxicating substances through certain medical stores for several years.
Jhota, who had over 24,000 followers on Facebook, gained prominence through videos of his interventions, which circulated widely on social media.
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.
