A murder live-streamed spotlights the desperation and limits of Punjab’s anti-drug crusaders

On October 13, anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota confronted chemist Ashwini Kumar at his shop in Mansa. Jhota accused Kumar of selling banned drugs and was carrying a smartphone. The confrontation became violent, and Kumar used his licensed pistol to shoot Jhota several times. He then chased Jhota down a street and shot him again.

The attack was recorded on camera. Jhota and his volunteer team usually livestreamed their raids on Facebook, so the confrontation and killing became part of a publicly visible record. This made the incident different from a private dispute. Viewers could see the dangers surrounding Jhota’s method of confronting suspected sellers directly.

His death soon became a symbol of anger over drug peddling and alleged official inaction in Punjab. His family refused cremation and a post-mortem unless Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the police chief resigned. A highway protest continued, drawing farmers, labourers and religious organisations.

Vigilanteism is the use of personal or community action to punish, confront or expose suspected wrongdoing outside official law-enforcement procedures. It differs from ordinary policing because vigilantes do not operate with the formal powers, safeguards or accountability of the state. The article presents Jhota’s activism as a response to frustration with institutional failure.

Jhota organised village volunteers and led raids on chemists suspected of selling high doses of pregabalin without prescriptions. He arrived with a smartphone, accused shopkeepers on camera and streamed the encounters. His group was not described as a police unit. It acted independently and sometimes created direct, dangerous confrontations, including the encounter that ended in Jhota’s death.

Supporters saw courage in his actions, especially because he had overcome addiction himself. Critics saw desperation and risk. Retired professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman said people may take justice into their own hands when the system does not provide it. The article suggests volunteer action cannot solve institutional failure.

Jhota and his volunteers livestreamed drugstore raids to expose suspected illegal sales and show the public what they believed authorities had failed to stop. Their broadcasts gave their accusations a visible audience. They also reflected Jhota’s belief that direct action was needed after repeated complaints produced little response.

The method relied on smartphones, public confrontation and immediate distribution through Facebook. Jhota would arrive at a chemist’s shop, accuse the owner of selling banned drugs and record the encounter. In the July 2023 sting operation involving Ashwini Kumar, this approach placed the suspected seller and activist in direct conflict. The later confrontation was also captured on camera.

Public exposure made Jhota’s campaign widely recognisable and helped similar Nasha Roko Committees form in Punjab’s Malwa region. But visibility did not make the raids safer or legally conclusive. Instead, the article shows how filming intensified attention around the conflict, while Jhota’s killing turned his campaign into a broader political and social symbol.

Pregabalin is a medicine used for pain relief and long-term conditions such as epilepsy. Its sale can therefore be legal when it is prescribed and supplied through proper medical channels. The article focuses on its misuse, not on banning every legitimate medical use. Punjab banned the sale and stocking of doses above 75 mg in 2024.

The risk described in the article comes from taking pregabalin in high doses or without a prescription. It can produce euphoric effects, encouraging repeated use. The article reports that dependency is widespread among some users, although it does not explain the drug’s detailed biological mechanism. Its low price also makes it an accessible substitute for more expensive opioids such as heroin.

This creates a difficult control problem. Regulators must prevent unlawful sales while preserving legitimate treatment. Chemists who sell high doses without prescriptions can widen access to misuse. Doctors, pharmacists and treatment services therefore matter because volunteer confrontations alone cannot safely manage a medicine that has both accepted medical uses and abuse potential.

Pregabalin misuse is widespread enough to appear in nearly half of the patients seeking treatment for substance-use disorders, according to a year-long study cited in the article. Researchers came from hospitals and tertiary care centres across three regions of Punjab and Chandigarh. The finding shows that misuse is not a small or isolated problem.

The drug’s price helps explain its reach. A pregabalin tablet can cost as little as Rs 10, while heroin and other opioids are more expensive. Bhagwant Singh Samaon said many users are labourers, and some begin each day by taking a pill. Its low cost makes regular use easier for people with limited incomes and can deepen dependency.

The pattern places pressure on health services, regulators and communities. Punjab banned the sale and stocking of doses above 75 mg in 2024, but the article also describes continued concern over illegal sales. Jhota’s raids reflected this frustration, while the study underlined the need for treatment and institutional action.

Jhota’s death created political pressure because it connected a highly visible murder with Punjab’s broader drug crisis. He was known for confronting chemists and exposing suspected sales, while supporters believed authorities had failed to act. His killing therefore resonated beyond Mansa and became a symbol of alleged impunity among drug peddlers.

The political stakes rose ahead of Assembly elections. Jhota’s family refused to cremate his body or permit a post-mortem unless Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state police chief resigned. Their demand turned grief into a direct challenge to the government. The protest on the Barnala-Mansa highway was supported by farmer, labour and religious organisations and continued to draw crowds.

The Aam Aadmi Party government faced pressure to show that it could control drugs and protect people confronting the trade. Police had to stop another family from joining the protest after a young man allegedly died from an overdose. The continuing demonstrations kept accountability at the centre of public debate.

Police should investigate illegal sales, protect witnesses and act on credible complaints. Drug regulators should control stocking, inspect pharmacies and enforce dose restrictions. Doctors should prescribe pregabalin only when medically appropriate, while pharmacists should verify prescriptions and refuse unlawful sales. These roles create legal oversight around a medicine that has legitimate uses but can also be misused.

Addiction-treatment services should screen people, provide care and support recovery. The article cites nearly half of treatment-seeking substance-use patients as dependent on or misusing pregabalin. Jhota’s volunteers instead confronted chemists, recorded raids and exposed suspected sales. Their actions drew attention, but they lacked the formal authority and safeguards of police and health institutions.

The article does not set out a detailed institutional plan, but it shows why one is needed. Jhota began acting after repeated reports seemed ineffective. His killing demonstrated the danger of substituting direct confrontation for accountable enforcement. Volunteer groups may alert authorities, but lasting control requires coordinated regulation, policing, medical care and addiction treatment.