India news Live Updates, 14 October 2026: Punjab anti-drug activist murder main accused nabbed from Rajasthan in Salasar

The accused in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab’s Mansa district has been taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan.

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Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead during a confrontation at a pharmacy by its owner, Ashwani Kumar, the very man he had confronted over alleged illegal drug sales in 2023.

The main accused in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab’s Mansa district has been nabbed in Rajasthan, news agency PTI reported, citing sources. Ashwani Kumar, a medical store owner who allegedly shot Jhota dead in broad daylight on Tuesday, was taken into custody from Salasar. Jhota had confronted Kumar over the alleged sale of drugs to an elderly man, and the shooting was captured during a live Facebook session hosted by the activist. The killing sparked tension in Mansa, with supporters vandalising the medical shop and Jhota’s family refusing to cremate his body in protest. Opposition parties have attacked the ruling AAP government over the incident, alleging a breakdown of law and order.

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Live Updates
Oct 14, 2026 10:16 AM IST
'Impose emergency officially': CJP Founder Abhijit Dipke

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke, speaking in Nagpur, Maharashtra, challenged authorities to produce evidence and act on allegations against the group. Referring to the Emergency, Dipke said that if the government intended to impose it, it should do so officially, while questioning the basis of the allegations.

"If you want to impose Emergency, do so officially; why are you being such a coward? Why are these people just making allegations? You have all the resources, you have all the investigative agencies, come up with the evidence, do the investigation and take some action," he said.

On senior advocate and former Solicitor General of India Harish Salve's allegations, Dipke said, "I want to tell Harish Salve to please provide that evidence to Amit Shah. Somehow, Amit Shah has not been able to prove yet that we have been receiving foreign funding. So, if Harish has the evidence, he should hand it over to Amit Shah, because he is clearly struggling to find any."

He added, "We will be having a meeting shortly, as soon as I land in Delhi, and after that, we will decide our next course of action."

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Oct 14, 2026 09:52 AM IST
CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke says group shares common cause with INDIA bloc

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said in Nagpur, Maharashtra, that the group shares a common cause with the INDIA bloc in its agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while stressing that CJP will remain an independent pressure group.

"...We all have a common cause and are fighting against Gyanesh Kumar, who is rigging elections and helping Narendra Modi to stay in power...Cockroach Janta Party is an independent pressure group and it will always be an independent pressure group. But it doesn't mean that we are against the INDIA bloc. Our and the INDIA bloc's agitations are for a common cause."

"No, there is nothing like that," he says when asked if CJP is getting registered as a political party.

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Oct 14, 2026 09:38 AM IST
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CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka sent to Tihar Jail

Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail on Wednesday for allegedly violating their peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar, news agency PTI reported, citing sources.

Bail bond formalities for their associate Ajinkya Shinde are being finalised.

The three, on Wednesday morning, were produced before the Executive Magistrate again.

Oct 14, 2026 08:57 AM IST
Punjab anti-drug activist murder main accused nabbed from Rajasthan

The main accused in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab's Mansa district has been nabbed in Rajasthan, news agency PTI reported, citing sources. Ashwani Kumar, a medical store owner who allegedly shot Jhota dead in broad daylight on Tuesday, was taken into custody from Salasar. Jhota had confronted Kumar over the alleged sale of drugs to an elderly man, and the shooting was captured during a live Facebook session hosted by the activist. The killing sparked tension in Mansa, with supporters vandalising the medical shop and Jhota's family refusing to cremate his body in protest. Opposition parties have attacked the ruling AAP government over the incident, alleging a breakdown of law and order.

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