Parvinder Singh Jhota was cremated 26 days after his murder, ending a prolonged protest. Meanwhile, another anti-drug activist, Amandeep Singh, was shot in Punjab, highlighting the ongoing drug menace. The attack followed efforts by an anti-drug committee to crack down on drug sales, with police now searching for the assailants.
NEARLY A MONTH after Parvinder Singh Jhota’s death, and just days after his family ended their protest, another attack on a person fighting the drug menace has shocked Punjab. On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Amandeep Singh, a member of an anti-drug committee, was allegedly shot by associates of a drug peddler at Kaleke village of Barnala district. The alleged attack happened following the committee's recent move to crack down on drug sales in the village.
Amandeep alias Aman was reportedly shot in the leg, following which he was rushed to the hospital and later referred to a super-specialty facility in Barnala. According to reports, doctors confirmed his condition was stable, suggesting other tests to determine the extent of the gunshot wound.
According to a committee member Sukhchain Singh Chinna, the Kaleka village sarpanch, village panchayat and local organizations had jointly formed an anti-drug committee around 15-20 days ago. Multiple activists joined the committee that has been actively cracking down and reporting on people involved in selling or consuming drugs in the village. Chinna claimed that the recent attack followed an incident after they caught a youth consuming drugs at a house on Saturday morning, November 7, 2026. The youth allegedly named several of his associates, who managed to escape.
Amandeep Singh also confirmed that the committee members immediately called on the emergency number 112 and reported the individual to the police. The officers asked the committee members to come to the police station to complete formalities of the case.
Following the arrest, four associates of the detained person allegedly broke into Amandeep’s residence by pushing his gate and opened fire with one of the bullets hitting him in the leg. Fellow committee member Chinna identifies the associates as Ranjit Singh Raju, Sukhpreet Singh alias Sukhhu, Sukhchain Singh Chahan and Prince. Chinna further claimed that the associates were also advancing towards his house, allegedly forcing him to fire warning shots in the air with his licensed firearm in self-defence.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajinder Pal Singh confirmed the attack and said the police unit is on the lookout to arrest the assailants.
Parvinder Singh Jhota’s death on October 13, 2026, has been stirring tensions in Mansa, Punjab, with his family and other organizations demanding police accountability and justice for the anti-drug activist. Jhota was shot in broad daylight on camera while recording an alleged drug peddler from his phone, sparking outrage from the locals and opposition leaders.
The unrest has been heating up for weeks with Shiromani Akali Dal, Akali Dal (Waris Punjab de), Congress and BJP leaders joining the fight against the AAP government. A joint action committee seeking Justice for Jhota was also formed to formally voice their demands in front of the administration.
On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the activist’s family and the Jhota Insaaf Committee finally had a meeting with representatives of the ruling government including Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Jhota's father Bhim Singh called off the protest the same day, ending the 22-day agitation.
On Friday, November 6, the family confirmed that Jhota’s body was sent to PGIMER Chandigarh for post-mortem. Twenty-six days after his death, on Sunday, November 8, 2026, the activist’s family cremated his body at his fields on Chakerian Road in Mansa with political leaders, Kisan Unions, and other friends and family members joining the ceremony.
[Rh/HP]
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