‘Punjab drug crisis more harrowing than official reports suggest’: Amit Shah; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Ludhiana (Punjab), October 20, 2026: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the ground reality of Punjab’s drug crisis was far more disturbing than official reports suggested, after meeting the families of three people whose deaths he linked to their opposition to the drug trade.
Addressing a press conference in Ludhiana at the end of his day-long visit to Punjab, Shah said the accounts shared by the bereaved families and local residents had revealed a deeply troubling picture of the drug menace in the state.
“Meeting these three families, as well as the locals who were troubled and distressed by the chitta (drug) trade and had gathered at their homes—the reality of the situation in Punjab that they described turned out to be far more gut-wrenching and shattering than anything we read in official paper reports in Delhi,” Shah said.
The Home Minister had met the families of Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur, Gulzar Singh in Sangrur and Parwinder Singh Jhota in Mansa. Referring to their accounts, he stressed the need for stronger action against drug trafficking and those allegedly involved in the trade.
Shah also urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to transfer two more cases involving the deaths of anti-drug activists to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), following the state government’s decision to hand over Jhota’s murder case to the central agency.
“You will not be able to handle it. Hand over the remaining two cases to the CBI as well. That is also the demand of their family members,” Shah said.
Assuring the people of Punjab that the CBI would pursue the Jhota murder case, Shah said anyone found guilty would face the law, regardless of their influence or position.
Jhota was shot dead on October 13 during a confrontation with a medical store owner over the alleged sale of addictive substances. He later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The incident triggered protests, with farmers’ and workers’ organisations calling for a statewide bandh on October 15.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann subsequently announced that Jhota’s murder case would be transferred to the CBI in response to the family’s demand. Mann reiterated that his government remained committed to fighting drug trafficking and taking strict action to make Punjab drug-free.
During the press conference, Shah also rejected criticism of his visit, saying his purpose was to console grieving families and urging political leaders to focus on ending the drug trade.
He further questioned how narcotics seized at ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra could reach Punjab’s neighbourhoods, alleging that the distribution network could not operate on such a scale without political patronage. He cited drug seizures worth ₹20,000 crore while defending action taken by the Centre against narcotics trafficking.
Shah’s remarks have brought renewed attention to the accounts of families affected by the drug crisis and their demands for investigations into deaths associated with opposition to the drug trade.