World · India Bureau
Anti-drug activist shot dead in Punjab; father alleges govt complicity
Parvinder Jhota, a prominent anti-narcotics campaigner in Punjab's Mansa district, was fatally shot on Tuesday. His father has alleged the killing was carried out by drug traffickers with backing from state authorities and local political figures.
LSN India ·
Anti-drug activist Parvinder Jhota, 40, was killed in a shooting incident in Mansa district on Tuesday, prompting his father to level serious allegations against Punjab's government and local administrators.
Bhim Jhota, the slain activist's father, claimed that drug peddlers backed by Punjab's state government and Mansa MLA Vijay Singla were responsible for his son's death. The allegations point to a possible nexus between narcotics dealers and political figures in the region.
Jhota had been vocal about the open sale of narcotic substances across Punjab, regularly highlighting the drug trade's impact on communities. He is survived by his wife, two young sons aged nine and six, and his elderly parents.
The killing has reignited concerns about the security of civil society activists working against drug trafficking in Punjab, a state that has struggled with widespread narcotics trade for years. Authorities have not yet confirmed details regarding the investigation into the incident.