Story perspectives

Shopkeeper Killed Activist During Facebook Livestream, Police Say

By Drooid · Oct 15, 2026, 4:30 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Ashwani Kumar Shoots

Ashwani Kumar (medical store owner) shot activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in daylight.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, while Jhota livestreamed on Facebook.
Jhota sustained three bullet wounds and died at Mansa Civil Hospital.
Police arrested Kumar’s cousin, then captured Kumar in Salasar, Rajasthan on October 14, 2026.
Protesters vandalised Kumar’s shop, blocked Barnala-Sirsa Road, and a bulldozer later razed it.

Summary

Punjab Police Seize

Punjab police seized 4,198 kg heroin, 1,009 kg opium, 481 quintals poppy husk, and 1,750 kg ganja.
Police also confiscated 65.85 lakh intoxicant tablets, capsules and 78 kg crystal methamphetamine (ICE).
Authorities logged 64,598 first information reports (FIRs) related to drug offenses.
Police arrested 82,739 suspected drug smugglers during the operation.
The ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ anti-drug drive marked its 591st day on Oct 13 2026.

History

Historical Context

The 1985 enactment of India's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, passed by Parliament under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, criminalized large-scale drug trafficking. It prescribed a mandatory death penalty for trafficking more than 10 kg of heroin, prompting the Narcotics Control Bureau and Punjab Police to seize 1,200 kg in a 1995 operation. The October 13, 2026 anti-drug drive, which confiscated 4,198 kg heroin, 1,009 kg opium and arrested 82,739 suspects, directly echoes that precedent’s scale and legal authority. Consequently, the NDPS framework fuels aggressive enforcement, intensifying community tensions exemplified by the fatal shooting of activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and subsequent shop demolitions.

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Ashwani Kumar Shoots

Ashwani Kumar (medical store owner) shot activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in daylight.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, while Jhota livestreamed on Facebook.
Jhota sustained three bullet wounds and died at Mansa Civil Hospital.
Police arrested Kumar’s cousin, then captured Kumar in Salasar, Rajasthan on October 14, 2026.
Protesters vandalised Kumar’s shop, blocked Barnala-Sirsa Road, and a bulldozer later razed it.

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