Full Breakdown
Amit Shah’s Punjab Tour: CBI Probe, Families of Anti-Drug Activists, and a 2029 Drug-Free Goal
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 20, 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Punjab, meeting the families of three anti-drug activists—Parwinder Singh Jhota, Bikramjit Singh and Gulzar Singh—who had been killed or driven to suicide after confronting local dealers. Shah announced that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would take over the murder probe of Jhota and set a deadline of December 31, 2029 for a drug-free Punjab. He also urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to transfer two additional cases to the CBI.
Background & Context
Punjab’s drug crisis has dominated state politics for more than a decade and is a key issue ahead of the 2027 Assembly election. Parwinder Singh Jhota, who exposed illegal sales at chemist shops, was shot inside a medical store in Mansa on October 13 while broadcasting on Facebook Live. Bikramjit Singh was killed in Mari Panwan, Gurdaspur on October 15, and Gulzar Singh, a daily-wage worker, died under disputed circumstances after questioning peddlers. Families demanded a CBI investigation, accusing the state police of downplaying the drug-mafia angle.
Timeline
- Oct 13 – Parwinder Singh Jhota shot dead in Mansa.
- Oct 15 – Bikramjit Singh killed in Gurdaspur.
- Oct 19 – SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal calls for a CBI probe.
- Oct 20, 2026 – CM Bhagwant Mann announces the Jhota case will be handed to the CBI; Amit Shah visits Punjab, meets families, and declares a 2029 drug-free target.
- Dec 31, 2029 – Shah’s deadline for eradicating the illicit narcotics network in Punjab.
Official Statements & Responses
Amit Shah framed the visit as a humanitarian mission, saying the CBI’s involvement would prevent “influential conspirators” from escaping justice. He urged citizens to report drug-related information to the Narcotics Control Bureau and warned of central intervention if the state failed to act.
Bhagwant Mann announced the transfer of the Jhota case to the CBI, expressed solidarity with the activist’s father, and pledged an “all-out” fight against drug peddlers. He defended the earlier stance that the murder stemmed from personal enmity while acknowledging the family’s demand for a central probe.
Criticism & Opposition
Mann rebuked Shah’s timing, asking why the central government had not acted during the previous Akali-BJP coalition (2007-2017) when drug consumption surged. He questioned the narrative that the drug trade could be eliminated without addressing alleged political patronage.
SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused the Punjab administration of complicity, citing repeated raids on the accused chemist that failed to prevent the killing. She demanded an independent CBI investigation, suggesting a nexus between traffickers, police and politicians.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini warned against politicising the drug issue, urging it be treated as a social crisis.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
State officials describe Jhota’s murder as stemming from “personal enmity,” while supporters and opposition leaders allege a direct link to the drug-mafia network. The Punjab government has not disclosed forensic findings, and the post-mortem of Jhota remains pending family consent. While the CBI has taken over the Jhota case, the status of investigations into the deaths of Bikramjit Singh and Gulzar Singh is unclear.
What’s Next
The CBI’s investigation into the Jhota murder is ongoing, with interviews of witnesses and examination of alleged drug-trade connections of store owner Ashwani Kumar. Shah has called on the Punjab government to hand over the remaining two cases to the CBI. The December 31, 2029 deadline sets a long-term benchmark, but concrete policy measures beyond that date have not been detailed.