October 15 bandh call intensifies pressure on Mann government; earlier attacks raise questions over protection for those confronting drug sellers
By Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: The killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa has brought the Bhagwant Mann government’s campaign against narcotics under renewed scrutiny. His family and supporters have called for a Punjab bandh on October 15, turning grief over the shooting into a demand for accountability and justice.
Jhota was shot dead on Tuesday during a confrontation with chemist Ashwani Kumar over the alleged sale of intoxicating substances. The encounter was captured during a Facebook Live broadcast. Police said Kumar fled after the shooting; four of Jhota’s companions were also reported injured.
Police subsequently announced the first arrest in the case. Bathinda Range DIG Harjeet Singh said the shooting appeared to involve a licensed weapon and described an old personal enmity as the suspected motive. That account must be examined alongside Jhota’s sustained campaign against alleged drug sales, rather than treated as a reason to disregard it. The main accused is still absconding.
The central question for the government is straightforward: why did a citizen campaigning against drugs end up confronting an alleged seller himself, with fatal consequences?
Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders have criticised the government’s handling of law and order. BJP Punjab president Kewal Singh Dhillon demanded Mann’s resignation, while Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring questioned the effectiveness of the government’s “Yudh Nashean Virudh” campaign.
Jhota’s dispute with the chemist was not new. In July 2023, he allegedly placed a garland of shoes around Kumar’s neck while accusing him of selling intoxicating substances. Jhota was arrested following that confrontation and spent nearly two months in jail before his release. The history shows that authorities knew of the conflict. It warrants scrutiny of the complaints, enforcement action and any assessment of the danger to those involved.
The family of Jhota has alleged patronage of local AAP MLA to the chemist show owner who was selling drugs with impunity. According to reports four cases have been registered against Chemist shop and still his licence was not cancelled. It is learnt that Jhota had informed the local DSP and drug inspector to reach the chemist shop where he was going to catch the drug sale. However DSP and drug insepector didn't reach the spot. The verbal confrontation led to firing by the shopw owner who following the victim in the market and shot twice him again.
Earlier killings show how violence can silence an entire community’s resistance to drugs.
Harbhagwan Singh, an anti-drug action committee member from Dhilwan village in Faridkot, was allegedly shot dead by suspected smugglers on August 4, 2023. He had accompanied committee members to persuade a suspected dealer to stop selling drugs. An Indian Express follow-up reported that his widow moved away with their children and that fear had weakened the village’s anti-drug committee.
In May 2025, Jandiala Guru councillor Harjinder Singh was shot dead in Amritsar. His family said he had opposed local drug peddlers. Police arrested suspects, but the family’s allegation about the motive must remain distinct from a judicial finding.
More recently, Navpreet Singh Navi, husband of a sarpanch in Tarn Taran, was killed in September. His family and SAD representatives alleged a connection to complaints about drug trafficking. Police, however, suspected an old rivalry, leaving the competing explanations subject to investigation.
The concerns extend beyond murder. Mohanjeet Singh of Sheron village alleged police torture after protesting against Mann’s handling of the drug menace in September. Authorities said the allegation was under investigation. Gulzar Singh’s family separately alleged intimidation after he questioned Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about drugs. Gulzar later died by suicide; Cheema denied responsibility and accused the opposition of trying to implicate him.
These different cases cannot be reduced to one proven conspiracy. Together, however, they raise a serious governance question: can citizens report drug sales or challenge official claims without fearing retaliation?
The wider challenge includes organised crime and illegal mining. This month, the High Court directed a CBI preliminary inquiry into alleged large-scale illegal mining in Hoshiarpur, along with a drone survey to assess excavation and environmental damage. The intervention raises further questions about the effectiveness of local enforcement.
Mann has called a high-level meeting following Jhota’s killing. The test now is whether that response produces arrests, a credible investigation and protection for threatened campaigners. Publicity, seizures and review meetings cannot substitute for safety in villages and markets. A government asking people to help fight drugs must ensure they are not left to confront suspected dealers alone.