SC takes cognizance of 'brazen act'

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the authorities for their failure to ensure safety of government officials after a woman officer was shot dead allegedly by a hotel owner in Kasauli town of Himachal Pradesh when she had gone to supervise the demolition of unauthorised constructions, dubbing it a "brazen act".

"We might stop passing any orders if you are going to kill people," a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said after the matter was mentioned before it.

It also asked the state government why the police could not stop the alleged assailant from fleeing the spot after shooting the officer.

Assistant Town and Country Planner Shail Bala Sharma had on Tuesday gone to supervise the demolition of unauthorised construction at Kasauli's Narayani Guest House where its owner Vijay Singh allegedly shot at her. She later succumbed to injuries.

Dubbing the incident as "extremely serious", the top court pulled up the authorities for their failure to ensure safety of officials and said it was quite clear that there was "absolutely no regard" for the rule of law as the public servants had gone there to do their work as per the directions passed by the apex court.

"It is quite clear that some of the appellants (hotels, guest houses) are acting with complete impunity and have absolutely no regard for the rule of law or the orders of this court," the bench said.

"Insofar as Vijay Singh, owner of Narayani Guest House is concerned, he has committed a brazen act of defiance of the order of this court amounting to a challenge and has allegedly killed one officer in broad daylight who went to implement the orders of this court," the court said.

"This is something extremely serious and we are of the view that suo motu notice of contempt of court must be issued in this matter and we do so accordingly," it said.

The apex court was informed that an official of Public Works Department (PWD) had also sustained severe injuries in the firing incident and was undergoing treatment at Chandigarh.

When the counsel representing Himachal Pradesh told the bench that police officials were also accompanying the public servants during the demolition drive, the bench shot back, "what were they (policemen) doing? Watching her (victim) get killed?".

"One question has to be answered. When he (hotel owner) fled, police officials should have apprehended and stopped him. The police official does not get hold of him. Why? How did he just flee (from the spot)? They (government officials) were implementing our order," the bench asked the counsel. The counsel said the demolition drive was going on "peacefully" where two guest houses, including Narayani Guest House, are located side by side.