Mansa, Oct. 14 -- Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh alias Jhota, known for raising his voice against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, was shot dead in broad daylight in a busy market in Mansa district on Tuesday.

Police have launched a manhunt for Ashwani Kumar, the medical store owner who opened fire on the activist and his companions, allegedly enraged after they questioned him for selling addictive drugs to an elderly man. Following the incident, tensions simmered in Mansa town as the activist's supporters vandalised the medical shop, even as Jhota's family refused to cremate his body in protest. A heavy police force has been deployed outside the Civil Hospital, where his body is kept.

The mu...