Kasauli firing: After 51-year-old lady officer, now injured PWD worker dies

Gulab Singh was wounded when 54-year old Vijay Singh, the owner of Narayani Guest House at Mando Matkanda near Kasauli fired at 51-year old lady assistant town and planner Shail Bala Sharma.

Demolition of unauthorised construction under progress at Kasauli in Solan district. | PTI File Photo

CHANDIGARH: A Public Works Department (PWD) worker who was wounded in a demolition drive in Kasauli twelve days ago died today.

It is the second death in the demolition drive that had made the Supreme Court haul up Himachal government earlier.

Gulab Singh was wounded when 54-year old Vijay Singh, the owner of Narayani Guest House at Mando Matkanda near Kasauli fired at 51-year old lady assistant town and planner Shail Bala Sharma, as the district administration was razing down thirteen illegal constructions in the area on the Supreme Court orders on May 1.

Singh died at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), in Chandigarh where he was taken after the incident as he was wounded in the chest and the abdomen. For last few days his condition was stated to be critical and he was kept on the ventilator. As he was being shifted to another ward today and was keeping kept on the stretcher he reportedly died.

Bala, who was also shot by Vijay Singh, while overseeing the demolition drive, was rushed to the nearest health centre in Dharampur where she was declared brought dead.

Singh. who had absconded after the shootout, was arrested two days later from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

In April this year, the Supreme Court ordered the demolition of the illegal structures in the hill state.

The Kasauli hotels, resorts and guest houses owners had approached the apex court challenging the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order to demolish or close down establishments extended without approval.

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur announced that the state government would provide financial assistance of rupees five lakhs to the family of Gulab Singh.

He said the family members of the deceased employee would also be provided full salary for his remaining service period.

He said Singh laid down his life while performing duty dedicatedly in obeying the orders of Supreme Court for the demolition of unauthorized construction by hoteliers at Kasauli in Solan district.