CHANDIGARH: The medical store owner accused of shooting dead anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab’s Mansa district has been arrested in Rajasthan, sources said on Wednesday.Ashwani Kumar was taken into custody from Salasar, they said.Jhota was shot dead in broad daylight on Tuesday after he allegedly confronted Kumar over the sale of drugs to an elderly man at his medical shop. The incident was captured during a Facebook Live session hosted by the activist.Kumar fled after the killing, prompting police to launch a manhunt. On Tuesday, police arrested an associate who allegedly helped him escape.Jhota was known for campaigning against drug abuse and the alleged illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops.The murder triggered tension in Mansa, with the activist’s supporters vandalising the medical shop and his family refusing to cremate his body in protest.The killing also sparked a political row, with opposition parties targeting the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Bhagwant Mann over the law and order situation in the state.Opposition leaders condemned the murder, alleging “jungle raj” in Punjab and raising concerns over the safety of those who speak out against the drug menace.(With agency input)
