Diljit Dosanjh. File photo: X/@diljitdosanjh.
Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh has described anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa last week, as a martyr and demanded justice for his family.
Mr. Dosanjh shared a picture of Jhota on his Instagram handle on Sunday (October 19, 2026).
“Shaheed Parvinder Singh. The entire Punjab is with the family in this hour of grief. The family should get justice,” he said.
Known for raising his voice against the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, Jhota was shot in broad daylight inside a medical store in a busy marketplace in Mansa on October 13.
The store owner, Ashwani Kumar, opened fire at Jhota after he questioned him for selling addictive drugs to an elderly man. He was taken into custody from Rajasthan’s Salasar.
The incident took place while Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live.
Six days after Jhota was killed, his post-mortem and cremation are yet to take place as his family members and supporters are protesting in Mansa and have refused to allow last rites until justice is delivered.
A joint action committee comprising various organisations and social activists formed after Jhota’s murder is demanding a CBI probe into the incident and resignations of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, among other things.
On Sunday (October 18, 2026), actress Neeru Bajwa said she had decided to put her latest Punjabi movie, “Thaapi”, a sports drama that released in theatres on October 16, on hold amid the outrage over Jhota’s murder.
“Whatever we are today, it is because of Punjab and Punjabiyat. The purpose of making the ‘Thaapi’ film is also the same, to bring life back to the fields of Punjab. Cinema is for the people. It can never be greater than the people,” Ms. Bajwa said in a Facebook post.
“We stand with Punjab in every way, we stood with Punjab and we will continue to stand with Punjab,” she said.
On Sunday (October 18, 2026), Punjabi singer Babbu Mann visited the protest site in Mansa and praised Jhota for his fight against drugs.
Published – October 19, 2026 02:04 pm IST
