Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Tuesday that the murder case of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota of Mansa will be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), acceding to the demand of the victim's family, news agency ANI reported.

In a post on X, Mann said the state government stood firmly with Jhota's father and family at all times. 'Acceding to the family's demand, we are handing over this case to the CBI,' he said, adding: 'Our fight against drug peddlers is decisive. Whatever strict steps are required to make Punjab drug-free, we will not back down.'

Jhota, known for raising his voice against drug abuse and the alleged illegal sale of intoxicating medicines at medical stores, was shot dead in broad daylight in Mansa on October 13 during a dispute at a medical store, according to reports. Police have arrested the prime accused, medical store owner Ashwani Kumar, from Salasar in Rajasthan.

Since the killing, Jhota's family and supporters had been protesting in Mansa and had refused to perform his last rites until a CBI probe was ordered. An action committee formed after the murder had submitted a memorandum to the government demanding an impartial investigation to establish the real reasons behind the murder and identify everyone involved, PTI reported.

The announcement came hours ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Punjab on Tuesday, during which he is scheduled to meet the families of people killed for opposing drug traffickers in Mansa, Sangrur and Gurdaspur, and to attend Dussehra celebrations in Ludhiana. The Centre had earlier sought a detailed report from the Punjab government on the killing and on the action taken so far.

Sources: ANI (via LatestLY and Indian Economic Observer); Punjab Newsline; Mirror Now; Daily Jagran (PTI).