Gurugram: Trader fires in air to stop MCG demolition drive, arrested

GURUGRAM: An anti-encroachment drive by MCG turned ugly on Sunday morning when a shopkeeper in old Gurugram opened fire, in an attempt to scare away the corporation officials.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the firing. Police have arrested the accused and booked him on attempt to murder charges.



The incident bears resemblance to the one in Himachal Pradesh’s Kasuali last year, where a woman assistant town planner and a PWD employee died after being shot by a hotel owner during an anti-encroachment drive, and raises questions on the safety of government officials tasked with razing illegal structures across the country.

MCG commissioner, however, made it clear that such incidents would not deter officials from carrying out their duties, and “the five-day mega drive will continue as planned”.

In fact, Sunday was the third consecutive day when several MCG’s demolition teams were carrying out anti-encroachment drives across Gurugram, including Subhash Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Beriwal Bagh, New Colony and Rezang La Chowk.

Around 1pm when one such team led by executive engineer Vikas Malik was razing illegal extensions done by shopkeepers on government land in New Colony, the accused resisted the move.

MCG chief Yashpal Yadav said the shopkeeper had initially tried to stop the team from carrying out the drive but when officials persisted, he whipped out a gun and fired in the air. “The man was carrying two guns — a pistol and a rifle — and fired in the air to scare the team away,” he said.

Though cops were present at the site, the New Colony police station SHO immediately rushed to the spot and arrested the accused.

An FIR has been registered under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 183 (resistance to the taking of property by the lawful authority of a public servant) and 353 (assault on public servant on duty) of the IPC against the accused, on a complaint by the MCG officials. “He will be produced in a court on Monday,” an official said.

Terming it as an “extremely unfortunate incident”, Yadav said, “This will not affect our encroachment drive and we will continue to remove or demolish the illegal structures.”

However, this is not the first time that MCG teams have come under attack from irate mobs during anti-encroachment drives.

In May last year, district town planner Mohan Singh suffered a fracture on his right hand when his team came under attack from a huge mob of locals as it was carrying out demolition of illegal structures in Sheetla Mata Colony that fall within 300m radius of the IAF ammunition depot, following high court’s order.

The mob had started pelting stones to prevent the team from carrying out the demolitions. And while trying to escape, Singh fell and broke his arm. Two of his team members had also received minor injuries, while four vehicles were damaged.

“But this anti-encroachment drive will continue over the next two days as well,” said an MCG official.