Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala Sharma supervises demolitions in Kasauli at 11.30 am Tuesday. Three hours later, she was shot dead, allegedly by owner of one of the properties targeted. (Express Photo by Jaipal Singh) Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala Sharma supervises demolitions in Kasauli at 11.30 am Tuesday. Three hours later, she was shot dead, allegedly by owner of one of the properties targeted. (Express Photo by Jaipal Singh)

“The officer was very gentle and gave us patient hearing,” said a hotelier, whose structure was facing demolition, about slain Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala Sharma who earned a lot of admirers due to her “impressive” style of working during her short stint at Kasauli. Though she started working in town and country planning department about a year ago, it was in March only that she started attending office at a new building in Mangoti Morh on Dharampur-Kasauli road.

Ghanshyam Kaushal, who gave the building on lease to the town and country planning department for the office of sub-divisional town planner, said everyone who met Sharma was all praise for her. “She used to hear them patiently and address their concerns. I did not come across a single person who complained about her ever,” said Ghanshyam, a transporter, adding he met the officer in connection with getting a map of his building passed. “During the visit, she sought to know if I can provide land for the office. Though the deal was not much profit-making, I could not say no to her due to her gentle behaviour,” said Ghanshyam.

Ghanshyam’s father Vidya Sagar Kaushal who retired as head clerk from Central Research Institute, Kasauli, in 2010, said Sharma was very hardworking and would sit in the office even after work hours. “She was dedicated to work,” he said, adding that lemon tea was her favourite. “I am shocked over her death and could not sleep yesterday (Tuesday) night,” he added. Divshikha hotel owner Sunita Devi termed the killing of the officer as “very unfortunate”.

“She was not at any fault,” said Devi, who met the officer twice and said was “really impressed with her good nature”. “Whatever happened is not good by any count. Her family is destroyed. The family of the man who opened fire is also destroyed. But, one has to ponder what led the hotelier to take this step,” said Pine View hotel owner Devender Jeet Bhandari. “To kill someone is wrong. But at times too much frustration leads persons to take such steps,” said AAA Hotel owner Sanjeev Sood.

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