NEW DELHI/MANSA, October 21, 2026 – Following intense demands from the victim’s family and widespread public outrage, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially registered a case and taken over the investigation into the brutal murder of prominent anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, Punjab.
According to officials, a specialized CBI team, comprising forensic experts, drug controllers, and GST experts, reached Mansa on Tuesday night. Led by a senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG), the team formally requested the local police to hand over all related documents and case files. The CBI team also scheduled an examination and detailed interaction with Jhota’s family at the Mansa Circuit House on Wednesday morning to record their statements.
The decision to transfer the case to the central agency came after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced on Tuesday that his government had accepted the family’s demand for a CBI probe. “We stand firmly with the father and the family of Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was fighting against drugs. Accepting the demand of the family, we are handing over this case to the CBI,” Mann posted on X, reaffirming his government’s commitment to an all-out fight against drug peddlers.
Parvinder Singh Jhota, widely known for his crusade against the illegal sale of addictive pharmaceutical drugs, was shot dead in broad daylight inside a medical store in a busy Mansa marketplace on October 13. Shockingly, the incident occurred while Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live broadcast, questioning the store owner for allegedly selling addictive drugs to an elderly man.
The primary accused, store owner Ashwani Kumar, who allegedly opened fire on the activist, was later tracked down and taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan.
The brazen daylight murder triggered a massive political storm in Punjab ahead of the state’s upcoming elections. For seven days, Jhota’s family members and supporters have staged relentless protests in Mansa, refusing to perform his last rites and cremation until absolute justice was assured through a central probe. With the CBI now taking the reins, the family hopes to unearth the deeper nexus of drug syndicates allegedly operating in the region.
Published by True Roots Media Network