Punjab anti-drug activist murder: Accused's house demolished in Mansa after arrest

Authorities in Punjab deployed bulldozers to demolish the residential and commercial properties of a medical store owner arrested for shooting dead anti-drug campaigner Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.

The accused, Ashwani Kumar, was tracked down and arrested by police in Salasar, Rajasthan, following a manhunt. Hours after his arrest, district officials and heavy police contingents arrived at his house on Gurdwara Road and his pharmacy near the Mansa railway tracks with earthmovers, citing enforcement actions against illegal structures.

Tensions escalated on the ground when crowds of Jhota’s supporters gathered at the site. As civic machinery began dismantling the chemist shop, protesters broke through, pulled out stock—including pregabalin capsules—and set the remaining structure on fire.

What happened in Mansa

Jhota, a local activist who had spent months campaigning against illicit pharmaceutical sales, confronted Kumar at his medical store over allegations that he was selling controlled, addictive substances.

A video circulating online, running nearly six minutes, captured the argument. In the footage, Jhota could be heard challenging Kumar after seeing him brandish a firearm. Kumar then pursued Jhota outside the premises with a weapon. Jhota was later discovered with gunshot wounds in an adjacent shop and was confirmed dead on arrival at a local hospital.

Following Kumar’s arrest in Rajasthan on Wednesday, Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Choudhary said police forces moved in primarily to keep the peace during an administrative demolition drive.

"We are here to maintain law and order. Action is being taken by the administration here. We had received an intimation regarding the same, so we have come here with the force to maintain law and order. There was input regarding illegal construction, and action is being taken in connection with that," Choudhary said.

Bathinda DIG Harjit Singh confirmed that the property demolitions were carried out after fulfilling the necessary formal procedures.

Property actions and key details

Administrative response and law enforcement

State officials maintained that law enforcement acted swiftly in tracking the suspect across state lines into Rajasthan. The prompt arrest demonstrated the administration's resolve to crack down on violent crime and curb the unauthorised distribution of habit-forming medications across the region.

Addressing the public anger, AAP representative Baltej Pannu stated that strict legal measures would be enforced against those responsible for the murder, while reiterating that no individual would be permitted to take the law into their own hands.

With heavy police deployments remaining across Mansa, authorities are working to preserve local stability, clear the debris, and prevent any further clashes following the unrest.