Bathinda: Chilling videos of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota’s murder show the accused, chemist Ashwani Kumar, shooting him with a semi-automatic pistol — a licensed weapon. Just how did Kumar manage to get an arms licence when he was already facing five criminal cases, including one under NDPS Act? How was his police verification cleared?And how did he get his pharmacy shop licence renewed every time it was suspended?The Mansa administration is being asked these questions in the aftermath of Jhota’s murder that has put Punjab on the boil in the run-up to assembly elections.The cases against Kumar were registered from 2020-2023, police sources told TOI. He was arrested in July 2023 following a complaint by Jhota. Yet he applied for an arms licence and was even granted one on Aug 21, 2024. He used to buy the pistol with which he allegedly shot Jhota three times and injured four others on Oct 13.Asked how Kumar got an arms licence despite facing criminal cases, Bathinda DIG Harjit Singh said action would be taken if any police or civil administration official was found to have had a role in facilitating the arms licence.Punjab food and drug administration (FDA) is looking into the repeated renewal of the licence of Kumar’s shop, Garg Medicare. The agency carried out multiple inspections at the pharmacy after getting complaints of sale of prohibited substances and other irregularities. Thrice, the licence of the firm was suspended under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, said an FDA official, requesting not to be named.Kumar faced four cases under IPC Section 188 (disobeying an official order) and one under NDPS Act. In July 2023, he was arrested for unauthorised sale of medicines on Jhota’s campaign, yet his pharmacy licence was not cancelled.FDA has sought information from the Mansa administration and the drug inspector on this. “We are investigating how his license was renewed every time despite cases being registered against him and accusations of selling prohibited substances. We are examining if corruption was involved,” said the official. It is learnt that a drug inspector has been questioned.Mansa deputy commissioner Navjot Kaur had not responded to calls and text messages for her version at the time this report was filed.Kumar was the proprietor of Garg Medicare and his wife Neelam Rani was an employee there as a pharmacist. Kumar was also a pharmacist and was authorised to get a licence.
