Mansa (Punjab), Oct 13 Preliminary investigation into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa has pointed towards personal enmity as the motive behind the crime, a senior Punjab Police official said on Tuesday.
Deputy Inspector General (Bathinda Range) Harjeet Singh also said that police teams were working to apprehend main accused Ashwani Kumar, a medical store owner. He will be arrested within 24 hours, Singh said.
A key associate of the main accused has been arrested, while his family members have been detained for questioning, police said.
Jhota, known for raising his voice against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, was shot dead in a busy market in Mansa on Tuesday.
The police have launched a manhunt for Kumar, the medical store owner who allegedly opened fire at the activist and his companions, enraged after they questioned him for selling addictive drugs to an elderly man.
Speaking to reporters, DIG Singh said, “Police received information about the incident at around 10:30 am today. Preliminary investigation has revealed that Ashwani Kumar, a chemist shop owner, allegedly fired at Parvinder Jhota with his licensed pistol, resulting in his death.”
An FIR has been registered and several police teams have been constituted to apprehend the main accused, the DIG said.
Kumar’s family members have been detained for questioning, while one of his key associates has already been arrested. Police teams are coordinating with the CID and other departments to trace and arrest the main accused at the earliest, he said.
The DIG further said, “Preliminary investigation indicates that the murder stemmed from personal enmity. An incident involving the two individuals had also taken place in 2023, and this previous dispute is being examined as part of the investigation.”
Following the murder, tensions simmered in Mansa town as the activist’s supporters vandalised the medical shop, even as Jhota’s family refused to cremate his body in protest.
Assuring protesters of action, the DIG said, “The main accused will be arrested within 24 hours and that legal action will be taken in accordance with the law.”
Punjab AAP media in-charge and state general secretary (organisation) Baltej Pannu said, “The preliminary police findings pointing towards personal enmity behind Parvinder Jhota’s murder must be investigated thoroughly. Whatever the personal dispute may have been, no one has the right to take the law into their own hands.”
“Anyone found responsible for the crime must face strict action. The main accused must be apprehended at the earliest, and the investigation must proceed impartially so that justice is delivered in accordance with the law,” Pannu added.
(PTI News)
