Chandigarh: Punjab Congress President and MLA Pargat Singh has questioned the Punjab government’s explanation regarding the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, challenging the suggestion that the incident stemmed from an alleged personal dispute.
In a post on X, Singh criticised the government’s response as “useless and evasive” and asked what kind of dispute existed between Jhota and the accused. He argued that Jhota had consistently raised his voice against the open sale of medicines allegedly being misused as intoxicants and had campaigned for restrictions on such drugs.
Singh alleged that medicines being sold openly despite their potential misuse had become a serious public concern, and questioned why the government had failed to take effective action against their sale. He maintained that Jhota himself had been struggling to get such medicines banned or their misuse curbed, making it necessary to examine whether his anti-drug activism had any connection with his killing.
The Congress leader’s remarks challenge the explanation attributed to the police that old enmity was behind the killing. However, whether the murder was connected to Jhota’s anti-drug campaign or arose from a personal dispute must be established through evidence gathered during the investigation.
The case has brought renewed attention to the enforcement of laws governing the sale of medicines that may be misused as intoxicants, as well as the protection of people campaigning against drug abuse. Questions remain over whether regulatory authorities adequately monitor the sale of such medicines and whether complaints about their misuse receive timely attention.
The investigation will be closely watched for clarity on the motive, the role of the accused and any possible connection between the killing and Jhota’s activism. The government and police face questions that require evidence-based answers, while a transparent investigation and accountability under the law remain essential to establishing the truth.
Key question raised by Pargat Singh: If Jhota had repeatedly campaigned against the misuse and sale of medicines as intoxicants, has the investigation adequately examined whether that activism played any role in his killing?