Accountability Demanded After Brutal Killing

MANSA/CHANDIGARH — In the wake of the shocking on-camera murder of anti-drugs activist Parvinder Singh Jhota on October 13, the Punjab government has faced mounting pressure, resulting in the immediate suspension of key local officials. Daily News 365 has learned that Mansa sub-division Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Harjinder Singh Gill and Drug Inspector Naresh were suspended following intense scrutiny and direct demands from the victim's grieving family.

The administrative action comes directly on the heels of the state's AAP government handing over the high-profile murder investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The federal agency has formally registered a case to probe the nexus behind the killing, which has sent shockwaves through local communities and reignited debates over state-level security for grassroots activists.

Family Allegations and Administrative Fallout

Parvinder Singh Jhota had spent years aggressively raising his voice against the rampant illegal sale of narcotics in the region, positioning himself at the forefront of local anti-drug campaigns. According to close family members and associates, Jhota had repeatedly alerted local authorities—including the suspended police and health officials—about illicit operations in the area, but those warnings allegedly went unheeded.

"The systemic failure to act on actionable intelligence provided by my brother cost him his life," a relative of the slain activist stated, echoing the sentiments of protestors who have demanded comprehensive accountability from top to bottom within the local administration.

High-Level Political Intervention

The escalation of the case to federal investigators coincides with high-level political meetings in the national capital. The decision to transfer the probe to the CBI was finalized on the same day Union Home Minister Amit Shah met with the families of Jhota and other anti-drugs campaigners who have faced threats and violence in the line of duty.

As federal investigators begin piecing together the timeline of events leading up to October 13, questions remain regarding how local enforcement agencies handled prior complaints filed by the activist. Daily News 365 will continue to track developments as the CBI expands its investigation into the local drug trade network and alleged official complicity.