SHOCKER IN PUNJAB: Who Was Parvinder Jhota? Anti-Drug Crusader Shot on Camera

Who was Parvinder Singh Jhota? The former boxer turned anti-drug activist was shot dead at a chemist shop in Mansa. Read his full profile, controversies, and murder details.

North Desk Correspondent

Chandigarh, October 13

The Mansa town in Punjab woke up to shock and escalating tension on Tuesday after prominent anti-drug crusader Parminder Singh Jhota was shot dead in broad daylight. The shooting, which reportedly took place at a local medical store and was caught on camera, marks a violent culmination to the volatile friction between grassroots anti-drug vigilantes and pharmacy owners in southern Punjab.

Parvinder Singh Jhota, who had survived addiction himself before spearheading high-profile civilian raids against suspected synthetic drug suppliers, was pumped with multiple bullets at close range.

As video footage of the incident spreads across WhatsApp and social platforms, here is a detailed look at who Parminder Singh Jhota was, why he was immensely popular particularly among rural youth, and how his controversial methods repeatedly placed him in the crosshairs of both the police and local traders.

ALSO: Parvinder Jhota Shooting Video: Here’s what exactly happened

Parvinder Singh Jhota: From Ring to Recovery

Parvinder Singh Jhota: Long before he became a household name across Malwa’s rural belts, Parminder Singh Jhota was an amateur boxer. Like thousands of youth in the region, he fell into the trap of severe substance abuse during his earlier years.

After spending years fighting addiction, Parvinder Singh Jhota managed to turn his life around, remaining clean for nearly a decade. Having experienced the devastating physical, financial, and emotional toll of the synthetic drug nexus firsthand, he resolved to take matters into his own hands.

Supported by local farmer unions and rural youth organizations, Parvinder Singh Jhota launched the “Nasha Roko, Rozgaar Do” campaign in early 2023. His mission was simple yet confrontational: if the state machinery and police could not halt the supply of contraband pharmaceutical pills and white powder (chitta), the community would intervene directly.

The Rise of Civilian Raids and the Chemist Clashes

Parvinder Singh Jhota’s movement gained explosive popularity through live-streamed social media videos. Instead of submitting memorandums to administrative officials, Parminder Singh Jhota and his supporters formed impromptu civilian task forces.

Their modus operandi was uncompromising:

* They tracked down youths purchasing unregulated, high-dose prescription narcotics such as tramadol and pregabalin.

* They staged surprise confrontations at pharmacies accused of selling unauthorized dosages without medical prescriptions.

* They cornered alleged peddlers, demanded the return of cash paid for illicit purchases, and often publicly exposed sellers on camera.

This sparked a major phenomenon across Mansa, Bathinda, and Faridkot, inspiring dozens of independent village committees to conduct parallel inspections. For thousands of families who had lost sons to overdoses, Jhota was a fearless folk hero willing to confront powerful local syndicates.

However, this civilian enforcement brought him into severe conflict with chemist associations and administrative bodies, who accused his groups of running unauthorized vigilante courts, intimidation, and trespassing.

Arrests, Jail Time, and Massive Public Backing

By mid-2023, the friction boiled over into formal legal cases.

Following an incident where Parvinder Singh Jhota used a minor to purchase unauthorized pregabalin tablets to catch a pharmacy in the act and recovered ₹400, the Mansa police registered an FIR against him for extortion. Subsequent confrontations led to further charges, including allegations of attempt to murder during a raid on an alleged supplier.

His arrest in 2023 triggered massive protests across Mansa. Farmer unions, civil rights groups, and hundreds of village panchayats took to the streets, surrounding police establishments and demanding his immediate release. The public outcry was so severe that senior government officials eventually intervened.

The complainant chemist withdrew the charges, the police admitted to erroneous bookings in the attempted murder complaint, and Parminder Singh Jhota walked out of jail to hero’s welcomes and rose petals.

ALSO: Parvinder Jhota Shooting Video: Here’s what exactly happened

The Fatal Morning in Mansa

Despite legal battles and recurring threats, Parvinder Singh Jhota refused to scale down his public campaign.

On Tuesday morning, another confrontation erupted at a medical store in Mansa. Eyewitness accounts and video footage from the spot indicate that a heated verbal altercation broke out over the alleged sale of banned intoxicating tablets.

Within moments, a firearm was drawn, and multiple shots were fired at Parminder Singh Jhota from point-blank range, piercing his torso and legs. Parminder Singh Jhota collapsed on the spot in a pool of blood. While he was rushed to the civil hospital alongside other injured bystanders, he succumbed to the gunshot wounds.

Heavy police contingents have been deployed across Mansa to prevent retaliatory violence, as local groups and supporters demand immediate action against those behind the fatal shooting.

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