Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead at a medical store in Mansa. (Source: File)The CBI has registered a case and taken over the investigation into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab’s Mansa, officials said on Wednesday. Jhota was shot dead inside a medical store on October 13 after allegedly confronting its owner over the sale of drugs. Police arrested the accused, Ashwani Kumar, in Rajasthan. Jhota’s family demanded a central probe, nudging the decision to hand the case over to the CBI. His post-mortem and cremation remain pending, with the family and supporters refusing to allow the last rites until justice is delivered.If you are just joining us, this is The Indian Express Realtime breaking news blog – where we bring you the latest news updates of the day in real time. Scan the top headlines of the day here, or keep scrolling to see the latest updates stream in.Congress sit-in over Ritu Barala assault enters 3rd day in JaipurCongress leaders, including Govind Singh Dotasra and Tikaram Jully, continued their sit-in at the Jaipur Police Commissionerate for the third day, demanding a zero FIR over the assault on NSUI leader Ritu Barala by Delhi Police personnel. Police said Barala had already filed a complaint in Delhi, where the matter was under investigation. The BJP accused Congress of staging a political drama, while former chief minister Ashok Gehlot criticised the state government for refusing to register the FIR.Live UpdatesOct 21, 2026 08:12 AM ISTCBI takes over probe into Punjab anti-drug activist Jhota’s murderThe CBI has registered a case and taken over the investigation into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab’s Mansa, officials said on Wednesday. Jhota was shot dead inside a medical store on October 13 after allegedly confronting its owner over the sale of drugs. Police arrested the accused, Ashwani Kumar, in Rajasthan. Jhota’s family demanded a central probe, nudging the decision to hand the case over to the CBI. His post-mortem and cremation remain pending, with the family and supporters refusing to allow the last rites until justice is delivered.Oct 21, 2026 08:12 AM ISTRajasthan: Kota boat tragedy during Durga idol immersion, 4 youths feared drownedFour youths are feared drowned after a boat carrying seven people overturned in the Kotri Canal near Steel Bridge in Rajasthan’s Kota on Tuesday evening during a Durga idol immersion ceremony. While three people swam to safety, a rescue operation was launched to trace the missing youths. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Education Minister Madan Dilawar reached the spot, while district officials supervised the search operation.VIDEO | Rajasthan: Four youths are feared drowned after a boat carrying seven people overturned in Kotri Canal near the Steel Bridge in Kota on Tuesday evening during a Durga idol immersion ceremony. The incident occurred under the Udhyog Nagar police station limits. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reached the spot following the incident. While three managed to swim to safety, officials have launched a rescue operation to find the remaining people. After being informed of the incident, Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar suspended his panchyat election campaign and rushed to the spot before directing the district administration to begin a search operation. District Collector Piyush Samariya and the city Superintendent of Police Tejaswini Gautam also reached the site to oversee the search efforts. (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 20, 2026https://platform.x.com/widgets.js© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:breaking news