CHANDIGARH: Punjab IAS officer Babita Kaler, husband Stephen Kaler, and gunman Shubh Karan Singh have been booked by the Punjab Police on charges of attempt to murder; the gunman has been arrested.
As per the complaint given to the police, the gunman shot at and injured the manager of an industrial house following a dispute over the dumping of sand onto a vacant plot adjacent to the Kalers' house in Chhoti Baradari area of Jalandhar.
The manager, Harpreet Singh, was shot in the thigh and later admitted to the civil hospital, sources said.
On Saturday, a case was registered against the three persons under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the BNS and Arms Act.
One Lakhbir Singh said, based on the plot owner's direction, the workers had started dumping sand to fill the land. However, the immediate neighbours--the IAS officer and her husband--asked them to stop the work and started misbehaving with the workers.
"In the scuffle, Kaler’s gunman opened fire," he alleged.
Eyewitnesses alleged that there was an attempt to forcibly stop land filling work and take over the plot.
On the other hand, Stephen Kaler denied the allegations.
He said that he had gone back inside the house after having a telephonic conversation with the plot owner and requesting the workers to halt construction, but the workers misbehaved with their gunman and tried to overpower him, after which the gunman opened fire to defend himself.
"We told them to first speak to the actual plot owner. I even helped them contact the owner and went back inside. Meanwhile, they started abusing and attacking the gunman, forcing him to fire in self-defence," he said.
When contacted, Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said that a case has been registered against the IAS officer Babita Kaler, her husband Stephen Kaler, and gunman Shubh Karan Singh. She said that the police are investigating the matter.
Babita Kaler is posted as Commissioner of Agriculture at present while her husband, Stephen Kaler, is an industrialist affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party.