India news Live Updates, 14 October 2026: Punjab anti-drug activist murder main accused nabbed from Rajasthan in Salasar

Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead during a confrontation at a pharmacy by its owner, Ashwani Kumar, the very man he had confronted over alleged illegal drug sales in 2023.

The main accused in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab’s Mansa district has been nabbed in Rajasthan, news agency PTI reported, citing sources. Ashwani Kumar, a medical store owner who allegedly shot Jhota dead in broad daylight on Tuesday, was taken into custody from Salasar. Jhota had confronted Kumar over the alleged sale of drugs to an elderly man, and the shooting was captured during a live Facebook session hosted by the activist. The killing sparked tension in Mansa, with supporters vandalising the medical shop and Jhota’s family refusing to cremate his body in protest. Opposition parties have attacked the ruling AAP government over the incident, alleging a breakdown of law and order.

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