CBI takes over murder probe of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, re-registers case

The CBI will investigate possible links between the murder and the open sale of psychotropic drugs at chemist shops

October 21, 2026

Forensic experts, drug controllers and a senior DIG: how the CBI has begun its investigation in Mansa

The agency plans to seek custody of the accused chemist and others involved

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally taken over the investigation into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab’s Mansa and has re-registered the case, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

CBI team in Mansa

A senior CBI team, led by a DIG, reached Mansa Police Station on Tuesday night and issued a formal letter to the local police to begin the handover of case records and seizures. Forensic experts, drug controllers and other technical specialists are due to arrive shortly to assist in what officials described as a multi-pronged investigation.

The family of the deceased was scheduled to reach the Mansa Circuit House at 11.30 am, where the CBI team will examine them as part of the initial proceedings.

Focus on the drug trade link

The agency will look into possible links between the murder and the open sale of banned psychotropic substances at chemist shops. It also plans to seek custody of the accused chemist, Ashwani Kumar, and others involved, so it can probe the illicit drug network and any connection to the killing.

The case

Jhota, 45, was shot dead on October 13 inside a chemist shop in Mansa while live-streaming on Facebook. He had confronted the shop owner, Ashwani Kumar, over the alleged illegal sale of addictive drugs to an elderly person. Gunfire broke out, killing Jhota and injuring four others. Kumar was arrested in Salasar, Rajasthan.

The killing sparked public outrage, which led to the chemist shop being set on fire and to action against properties linked to the accused.

How the CBI got the case

The family, action committees and opposition parties demanded a central investigation. After Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann handed the case over to the CBI.

On Tuesday, Shah met Jhota’s relatives. His visit comes amid a political debate over the drug problem in Punjab, with the BJP accusing the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to tackle it. Shah alleged that traffickers dealing in “chitta,” the local term for addictive substances, were flourishing under the AAP government’s protection.

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