India, Oct. 21 -- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, Punjab, and re-registered the case, officials said on Wednesday.

A CBI team led by a senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) reached Mansa to collect case records and seized material from the Punjab Police. The agency is also examining whether the killing was connected to the alleged illegal sale of banned psychotropic substances at chemist shops.

According to CBI officials, the team reached Mansa Police Station to initiate the handover process after issuing a formal communication to the local police. Jhota's family was scheduled to be examined at the Mansa Circuit House, while...