Gulab Singh, the Public Works Department (PWD) labourer, who was injured in firing by a guest house owner during a demolition drive in Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. He had suffered bullet injuries and was in a critical condition for the last two weeks.
Earlier, Assistant Town Planner Shaila Bala Sharma, 51, who was supervising demolition of unauthorized constructions in Himachal Pradesh’s Kasauli, was shot dead by Narayani Guest House owner Vijay Singh during the drive.
PWD employee Gulab Singh got bullet injuries when Vijay Singh fired at officials when they insisted on executing the apex court order to demolish illegal constructions at his guest house.
A joint team of Himachal Pradesh and Delhi Police tracked down and arrested the accused, Vijay Singh from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.
The Supreme Court on May 9, asked the state government to provide it the names and designations of officers who were posted in Kasauli when unauthorized constructions came up.
A bench of Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Madan B. Lokur told the advocate general of Himachal Pradesh, “Unless you take action and remove four-five people from service, nothing will fall in line.” The court has also asked the state government to file a status report and posted it for hearing in the first week of August.
The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur had admitted lapses in the demolition drive in Kasauli. “The government has taken all possible steps after the firing. The accused has been arrested; ex-gratia grant of Rs. 5 lakh has been announced for the family of the officer. The family would also get full salary as drawn by her for the remaining period of service,” the Chief Minister said.
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