Kasauli: Second victim succumbs to injuries

Shimla, May 13 (IANS) Another victim of firing purportedly by a guest house owner during a demolition drive in the tourist resort Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh succumbed to his injuries on Sunday after battling for life for 12 days, police said.

Earlier, Assistant Town Planner Shaila Bala Sharma, 51, was shot dead by Narayani Guest House owner Vijay Singh during the demolition drive in Solan district.

Public Works Department employee Gulab Singh got bullet injuries when Vijay Singh fired at employees deployed to raze illegal constructions in the area on May 1.

He was referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh where he died.

The accused was arrested from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh two days after the crime. He is on police remand.

Vijay Singh fired at officials when they insisted on executing the apex court order to demolish illegal constructions at his guest house.

The apex court, which ordered the demolition of illegal constructions in 13 hotels and resorts in Kasauli area, took suo motu cognizance over the firing incident.

On May 9, the court asked the state government to provide it the names and designations of officers who were posted in Kasauli when unauthorized constructions were carried out.

A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta also sought a report from the state on specific steps taken to ensure that no uauthorized construction was being carried out in other parts of the state.

During the hearing, the bench told the Advocate General of Himachal Pradesh: "Unless you take action and remove four-five people from service, nothing will fall in line.