In a dreaded incident in Kharar near Chandigarh, a drug inspector was shot dead by an armed assailant at the drug and chemical testing laboratory. Dr Neha Shoree, FDA’s zonal listing authority, had cancelled the license of the assailant’s shop in 2009. The assailant has been identified as Balvinder Singh. Dr Neha Shoree had cancelled the license over the recovery of banned intoxicating drugs from the shop, as part of raids she had conducted in 2009.
Balvinder Singh fired two bullets at the 38 year old drug officer, Singh, unable to flee from the scene also shot himself as he was cornered out by the crowd present at the location. Both Dr Neha and Balvinder were rushed to a private hospital nearby, where the drug officer was declared dead however the assailant died on his way to PGIMER, Chandigarh. The police have recovered the weapon used in the crime. The police have also recovered a knife wrapped in paper from Balvinder Singh.
According to the police, Singh reached the FDA office on his motorbike around 10.30 am. He entered Shoree’s office, fired two bullets at her and shouted “Happy Holi”.
Mohali SSP Harcharan Singh Bhullar told The Indian Express: “One bullet hit Neha on the temple and another on the chest. Balwinder tried to escape but people blocked him at the gate. Finding himself cornered, he took out his revolver and tried to scare them. Then, he shot himself in the chest and the head.”
“In September 2009, Neha was posted as a Drug Inspector in Ropar district, when she raided Singh’s shop. During the raid, 35 types of tablets used by drug addicts were recovered and Singh could not produce any supporting document. That was when she cancelled his license,” said SSP Bhullar.
Balvinder had obtained an arms license from the Ropar administration on March 9, and bought the revolver two days later. The Police further added that Shoree’s six-year-old niece was also present in her office in Kharar during the shooting.
With the state struggling to fight widespread drug abuse, this event is a huge setback to the efforts of people of Punjab in combating the drug menace. As soldiers protect our borders from external threats, Honest and Brave officers like Dr. Neha Shoree play an instrumental role in safeguarding our society form other evils like drugs from inside the country. A brave soul who sacrificed her life protecting youths of our nation, is an inspiration for thousands of other young individuals who want to contribute for betterment of our nation.
An officer in Punjab shot dead at point blank range also speaks lengths about the condition of security in the State. With Capt. Amarinder Singh taking charge, people of Punjab were expecting strict actions on the drug mafia operating in the state, however the heinous murder of an officer at point blank range in broad day light is surely contrary to what people of Punjab had expected. The media had been a proponent of the anti drug campaign in Punjab, has also fallen silent since the change in Government, however people of Punjab and honest officers like Dr Neha Shoree by their efforts still strive to make Punjab drug free.
tfipost.com pays tribute to the honest and brave officer who is survived by a two-year-old daughter and husband Varun Monga.
Om Shanti.