CBI will hunt culprits even in hell: Amit Shah on Punjab drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota's murder

Union Home Minister Amit Shah vowed that the CBI would hunt down the culprits behind anti-drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota's murder "even in Pataal Lok." After meeting three families affected by Punjab's drug menace, Shah urged the state government to transfer two other cases to the CBI if it could not solve them.

In Short

• Bikramjit Singh was attacked after allegedly objecting to drug peddling
• Two others sustained serious injuries in the Pannawan village assault
• Shah offered condolences to Singh’s mother and grieving relatives during the visit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the CBI would hunt down the culprits behind the murder of anti-drug crusader Parvinder Singh Jhota “even in Pataal Lok (hell)”, as he met the families of three people who died in incidents linked to opposition to drug trafficking in Punjab.

“Will hunt culprits from Pataal Lok,” Shah said at a press conference after meeting the families. He thanked Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for handing over Jhota’s murder case to the CBI and said the state government could transfer the other two cases as well if it was unable to solve them, as demanded by the victims’ families.

Hours before Shah's visit, said that his government had decided to hand over Jhota's murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Shah also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to fulfil its promise to rid Punjab of drugs within three months of coming to power.

He said he had never felt as unhappy as he did after meeting the three families, adding that the situation on the ground was “far worse than you read in the papers”.

Shah said the AAP government had no answers for the deaths and added that all party workers should feel ashamed.

Jhota, an anti-drug crusader known for speaking out against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, was shot dead inside a medical store in Mansa on October 13 while hosting a Facebook Live.

He had reportedly confronted medical store owner Ashwani Kumar for allegedly selling drugs to an elderly man. Kumar allegedly opened fire, killing him.

Shah’s visit comes amid a series of incidents involving people who allegedly opposed drug trafficking in Punjab.

Earlier in the day, Shah visited the family of slain anti-drug activist Bikramjit Singh in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. Singh (40) was attacked with a sharp weapon along with two others in Pannawan village on October 15 after they allegedly objected to drug peddling. He died at the spot, while the other two sustained serious injuries.

A video showed Shah offering condolences to Singh’s mother and speaking with other members of the grieving family.

Shah then travelled to Sangrur district to meet the family of Gulzar Singh, a Dalit man who died by suicide on September 7, before heading to Mansa to meet Jhota’s family.

Gulzar Singh’s family alleged that he consumed poison after being harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the availability of drugs in his locality.

Punjab BJP vice-president Fatehjang Singh Bajwa said Shah’s visit reaffirmed the party’s commitment to tackling the drug menace.

"Just a few days ago in Jalandhar, the BJP -- and specifically Amit Shah -- made a promise to the people of Punjab: that they would completely eradicate the drug menace in the state, rooting it out entirely by December 31, 2029," Bajwa said.

He added that Shah’s visit sent a message that the BJP always delivers on its promises.

Shah’s visit comes amid growing concerns over drug trafficking and drug-related violence in Punjab, where the issue has emerged as a major political flashpoint ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

The BJP has promised to make Punjab completely drug-free by December 31, 2029, if it forms the government in the state.

Later today, Shah is scheduled to attend Dussehra celebrations in Ludhiana, where an effigy representing ‘chitta’, a synthetic drug, will be burnt alongside the effigy of Ravana, highlighting the party’s campaign against narcotics.

- Ends