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Jhota murder: HC seeks report on action taken by Punjab Police
The order was passed on October 15 during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) initiated in November last year, following reports that a five-month-old child was allegedly sold by his drug-addicted parents for ₹1.8 lakh
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The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a report from the Punjab Police on the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, alias Jhota, who was shot dead in broad daylight on October 13, triggering widespread protests in Mansa.
“We would like the state to file a status report clarifying the action taken in the matter by the next date of hearing. If any houses have also been demolished, belonging to the accused person, the details thereof, including the procedure adopted, would be specified,” the bench of chief justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and justice Rohit Kapoor observed.
The order was passed on October 15 during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) initiated in November last year, following reports that a five-month-old child was allegedly sold by his drug-addicted parents for ₹1.8 lakh. The detailed order was made available on November 3.
Senior advocate Baltej Singh Sidhu had brought the broad-daylight murder to the court’s notice and referred to reports that a day after the murder, the authorities demolished the accused’s house allegedly without following the due procedure.
The state was to file a report by November 3. But the matter could not be taken up and has now been posted for hearing on December 15, Sidhu said.
The original petition was filed before the court by one Labh Singh, a retired boxing coach, resident of Ludhiana, who had demanded strict and effective measures to eradicate and control the drug menace in Punjab and take steps for the well-being of the child.
According to the proceedings, an FIR was registered on October 25, 2025, at Bareta police station in Mansa district over the alleged sale of the child by the couple to fund their addiction. Subsequently, the authorities told the court that both parents are in jail and the child has been placed at Shri Anant Anaath Ashram located in Bathinda.
