An anti-drug campaigner was allegedly killed by a medical establishment proprietor in the Mansa district of Punjab following a dispute regarding the purported distribution of illicit intoxicating items. The victim, identified as Parvinder Singh and widely known as Jhota, had a reputation for vocal opposition against unauthorized substance sales at local pharmacies. Law enforcement officials noted that the fatal confrontation occurred inside a medical outlet situated within a bustling marketplace, where Jhota and his associates confronted the proprietor about dispensing addictive pharmaceuticals to an individual.
Footage documenting the encounter has emerged online, including a nearly six-minute recording in which Jhota is heard noting that the shop owner had drawn a firearm. During the video, Jhota challenges the armed individual by shouting for him to open fire before he and his companions attempt to flee the premises. Additional footage depicts the merchant emerging with a weapon and chasing Jhota as he tries to get away, while bystanders scatter in panic.
Following the pursuit, Jhota was discovered severely injured inside a nearby retail space. He was transported to a medical facility, where attending physicians pronounced him deceased. Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Choudhary stated that active operations are currently underway to apprehend the perpetrator.
The killing has generated widespread outrage, particularly as it unfolds amid ongoing anti-drug initiatives pursued by the state administration and political organizations across Punjab. Aam Aadmi Party representative Baltej Pannu strongly denounced the homicide and vowed that severe measures would be taken against the culprits. He emphasized that nobody in the state is allowed to bypass legal channels and that the guilty parties will face uncompromising consequences.