Kasauli woman officer’s murder: Accused Vijay Thakur was arrested from Mathura on Thursday.
Hotelier Vijay Thakur, who allegedly shot dead Assistant Town and Country Planning officer Shail Bala Sharma in Kasauli during demolition drive on May 1, was sent to five days police remand on Friday. Thakur was arrested by police from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
51-year-old Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala, was allegedly chased and shot dead by Thakur during a demolition drive against unauthorised structures in hotels across the hill resort on Tuesday. Additional SP Solan, Dr Shiv Kumar, who was heading the SIT formed to investigate the case, said Thakur was arrested from Mathura in UP as he was constantly on police radar. He said the hotelier was being brought to Solan for investigations and follow-up. Also Read: Kasauli woman officer’s murder: Accused arrested from Mathura
Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala Sharma supervises demolitions in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, at 11.30 am Tuesday. Three hours later, she was shot dead, allegedly by an owner of one of the properties targeted. Police said he is on the run. (Express Photo: Jaipal Singh)
The Director General of Police S R Mardi, who had set-up the SIT, expressed satisfaction over the teamwork by police in arresting the accused after a hard chase within and outside the state. The DGP was also camping in Kasauli to supervise the investigations and oversee the demolition drive, and security arrangements. Also Read: In her last hours, the last words: ‘We are only following court orders’
On Tuesday, eyewitnesses said that Thakur fired at least three bullets at her inside the Narayani guest house in Mandudhar on the Dharampur-Kasauli road at around 2.33 pm. Sharma was brought dead to the Dharampur government hospital.
One of the eyewitnesses, Parwanoo Range Officer Shivender Pal Singh, said Thakur opened fire when Sharma and other officials entered the hotel to take stock of the demolition. “He fired two bullets inside the hotel. One of the PWD employees was injured. We immediately ran outside to save ourselves. He chased us and fired another bullet which hit the ATP, she fell down,” Singh said. Officials said Thakur obtained an arms licence in 2011, and possessed a revolver.