A woman officer working for Punjab government’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) wing was shot dead inside her office in Kharar near Mohali on Friday morning by a pharmacy owner whose licence she had cancelled after a raid a decade ago. Police said that the woman officer’s six-year-old niece was also present inside her office when she was shot from point blank range.
Neha Shoree, 36, a resident of Panchkula, was posted as FDA’s Zonal Licensing Authority since 2016, reported The Indian Express.
The attacker tried to flee the spot after shooting Shoree but was surrounded by people following which he shot himself too, the police said.
A .32 bore pistol was also recovered from him who had it licensed on 11 March 2019, a police officer addressing the media on the case said. A knife wrapped in a newspaper was also recovered from him, he added.
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The assailant has been identified as 50-year-old Balwinder Singh who originally belongs to Morinda. Police said that he owned a chemist shop in Morinda and the woman officer, Neha Shoree, had cancelled the pharmacy’s licence back in 2009. The Indian Express reported that she was also going to depose in a court case against Balwinder Singh on the matter.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has ordered an investigation in the shooting incident.
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What actually happened
As per the police, Balwinder Singh went to the FDA office on his motorbike around 10.30 am. He then entered Neha Shoree’s office, shot her twice and shouted “Happy Holi”.
“One bullet hit Shoree on her temple and another on the chest. Balwinder Singh tried to flee however people stopped him at the gate. Upon finding himself cornered, he took out his revolver and attempted to scare them. Then, he shot himself in the chest and head, ” Mohali SSP Harcharan Singh Bhullar told The Indian Express.
Both Shoree and Balwinder were rushed to a private hospital, where the woman officer was declared brought dead whereas the assailant died on the way to PGI Hospital in Chandigarh.
“In September 2009, Neha was posted as a Drug Inspector in Ropar district, when she raided Balwinder’s shop. During the raid, 35 types of tablets used by drug addicts were recovered but Balwinder could not produce any supporting documentation. That was when she cancelled his licence,” SSP Bhullar said.
