Kasauli shootout accused arrested from Mathura

SHIMLA: Solan police has arrested hotel owner Vijay Singh Thakur, accused of killing assistant town and country planner, Kasauli, Shail Bala during a demolition drive in Mando Matkanda area of Kasauli on Tuesday. He was arrested from Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh by a police team from Solan. He was on a run since the murder.

According to sources, to hide his identity, Thakur had trimmed his hair and had chopped off his moustache.

Police was initially looking for Thakur in the nearby forest areas, following reports that he was hiding there. Eye-witnesses had said that Thakur fled to the nearby forests after shooting dead the woman officer. He had even switched off his mobile.

But later he made a few calls, and his location was traced by police, leading to his arrest from Mathura.

On Tuesday, Shail Bala accompanied by other officials from police and district administration had gone to Mando Matkanda to carry out the demolition of unauthorized portions as per the directions of Supreme Court. An unauthorized construction at Thakur's Narayani Guest House was also to be demolished.

Vijay Singh (54) and his mother Narayani Devi (70) had an argument with the officials and tried to resist the demolition. When the team started demolishing the illegal structure, Vijay Singh fired three rounds from a firearm. Two bullets hit Shail Bala resulting in her death, another hit Gulab Singh, an employee of Public Works Department, leaving him seriously injured.

Supreme Court had taken serious view of the incident and had pulled up the Himachal Pradesh government for its failure to provide adequate security to officers executing the court order. On Thursday, state government had filed status report in the Supreme Court on the entire incident.