Four Accused in Parvinder Jhota Murder Case Remanded to Judicial Custody

Four individuals accused of murdering anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota have been remanded to judicial custody. The CBI has officially taken over the investigation into the case following political pressure and family demands.

Accused Remanded to Judicial Custody

Mansa (Punjab) [India], October 22 (ANI): All four accused in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota have been remanded to judicial custody after being produced before a court through video conferencing, Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vaibhav Choudhary said on Thursday. The four accused, Ashwini Kumar, Neelam Rani, Deepan Garg and Ladi, were produced before the court, following which they were remanded to judicial custody. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may now take them into custody on a production warrant, the Mansa SSP said. The CBI on Wednesday officially took over the investigation into the murder of the activist, officials confirmed.

"In the Parvinder Jhota murder case, all four accused—Ashwini Kumar, Neelam Rani, Deepan Garg, and Ladi—were produced before the court today via video conferencing. Consequently, all the accused have been remanded to judicial custody. Following this, the CBI may take them into custody on a production warrant," as per Mansa SSP Vaibhav Choudhary

Background of the Murder Case

Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota (45) was shot dead on October 13, 2026, in Mansa, Punjab, inside a chemist shop while live-streaming on Facebook. The main accused, medical store owner Ashwani Kumar, was arrested in Rajasthan. Jhota confronted chemist Ashwani Kumar in a Mansa market over the alleged illegal sale of addictive drugs to an elderly person. Gunfire broke out, killing Jhota and injuring four others.

CBI Probe and Political Context

CBI took over the probe following family demands and political pressure. On October 20, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met with the kin of Jhota. The Home Minister’s visit to Punjab comes amid a political debate over the drug menace in Punjab, with the BJP accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to tackle the crisis. Shah had alleged that drug traffickers dealing in 'chitta', a term commonly used for sedative and addictive substances in Punjab, were flourishing under the AAP government's protection (ANI)

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