7 years apart, anti-drug activist Parvinder Jhota’s killing revives memories of Neha Shoree murder

CHANDIGARH: Seven years after Punjab drug licensing officer Neha Shoree was shot dead in her office, the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa has brought renewed attention to the risks faced by those who challenge alleged illegal drug sales in the state.The two cases, separated by more than seven years, involved different circumstances and accused persons. But both brought allegations of illegal drug sales into focus and raised questions about the enforcement of laws governing medicines and addictive substances.Shoree, a zonal licensing drug authority, was shot dead in her office in Kharar near Mohali on March 29, 2019. Jhota, 45, was shot dead in Mansa on October 13, 2026, while confronting a medical store owner over the alleged sale of synthetic drugs.Four other people were injured in the firing, which was captured during Jhota’s Facebook Live broadcast.Neha Shoree: A licence cancelled and then a killingShoree was selected as a drug inspector through the Punjab Public Service Commission in 2007 and joined the health department in Ropar that October. In 2013, she was given the responsibility of district zonal licensing authority.On March 29, 2019, she was shot dead at her office by Balwinder Singh, a chemist from Morinda whose shop licence she had cancelled in 2009, police said. During her tenure as a drug inspector in Ropar, Shoree had raided shops and seized banned drugs.Her parents alleged that the drug mafia was behind the killing because she had exposed the sale of intoxicants in the Ropar and Kharar region.“We want to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi that you have been assuring to make a drug-free country but here women officers are being killed by drug mafia,” her mother and paternal aunt said, according to a TOI report published on March 31, 2019.The family’s allegations prompted demands for a wider investigation. The then Punjab chief minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, subsequently handed the probe to ADGP Prabodh Kumar, director of the Bureau of Investigation.However, in December 2019, police informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that their investigation had found no involvement of the drug mafia or any other person besides the accused.Shoree’s family continued to question the findings and seek further investigation.In September 2019, the Punjab government approved financial benefits of around Rs 31 lakh for her family. Shoree’s killing had also prompted scrutiny of the licensing process and the circumstances surrounding the accused’s arms licence.Parvinder Singh Jhota: The 2023 dispute that preceded his killingJhota became known in Mansa for confronting medical store owners whom he accused of selling intoxicating pills, synthetic drugs and other prohibited substances. He recorded confrontations and shared videos on social media.His dispute with medical store owner Ashwani Kumar dated back to July 2023. Jhota had allegedly put a garland of shoes around Kumar’s neck in a public confrontation, accusing him of selling synthetic drugs.A case was registered against Jhota, who was arrested and spent nearly two months in jail. He was released on September 11, 2023, after the complainant approached the court to withdraw the complaint.The case against Kumar concerning the alleged sale of prohibited substances remained pending.Jhota continued his campaign. On the morning of October 13, 2026, he reportedly met an elderly man who had bought synthetic drugs from a medical store and took him to Kumar’s shop to question the owner about the alleged sale.The confrontation escalated as Jhota livestreamed it on Facebook. Kumar allegedly pulled out a firearm and opened fire inside the shop before following the injured activist into the street and firing again. Jhota was hit by three bullets and died at Mansa Civil Hospital. Four others were also injured.In the video, Jhota is heard saying, “maar mainu, maar mainu” (kill me).Kumar fled after the shooting and was arrested in Rajasthan’s Salasar on October 14. Police also detained an alleged associate accused of helping him escape.Jhota’s father, Bhim Singh, a retired Army serviceman, refused to cremate his son until those responsible were brought to justice.“I am still alive and pledge to fight against the drug peddlers as my son was waging a war against them. I am also ready to take a bullet if the peddlers are not taken to task,” Bhim Singh said at Mansa Civil Hospital.A continuing challenge for PunjabThe killings have brought renewed attention to the state’s efforts to curb drug abuse and the alleged illegal sale of addictive pharmaceutical substances. Following Jhota’s murder, the Punjab government stepped up inspections of chemist shops.The two cases must be viewed in their individual contexts: Shoree was a government officer carrying out licensing duties, while Jhota was an activist who publicly confronted people he accused of selling prohibited substances.Investigators in Shoree’s case said they found no evidence of anyone else being involved in her murder, while the investigation into Jhota’s killing concerns a separate accused and a separate dispute.Their deaths, years apart, have nevertheless renewed questions about the availability of addictive substances, the enforcement of drug-sale regulations and the safety of people who seek to expose alleged violations.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chandigarh | Silver Rate in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh | Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Petrol Price in Chandigarh | Diesel Price in Chandigarh | CNG Price in Chandigarh | LPG Price in ChandigarhStay updated with the latest Chandigarh news. 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