IAS officer’s guard shoots at executive over earth-filling dispute | India News
JALANDHAR: A gunman assigned to IAS officer Babita Kler allegedly shot and wounded a steel firm’s manager during a confrontation over earth-filling work on a plot adjacent to her residence in Jalandhar’s Chhotti Barandari area, police said.Harpreet Singh, manager at the firm owned by industrialist Sulakhan Singh of Prabal TMT, was shot in both legs and hospitalised. Police have arrested constable Sukhkaran Singh. An FIR has been filed against Babita, her husband Steven Kler, a former AAP district president, and the constable for attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing hurt, and under the Arms Act.Industrialist Sulakhan Singh’s son Karanjit Singh Kang said their workers were sent to begin filling earth on the family’s plot adjacent to the Kler residence. “Steven objected and insisted on speaking to the owner. My father called and clarified that it was our land. Then he sent our manager Harpreet to the site. But Steven and Babita refused to allow the work. Amid the argument, they ordered the gunman to shoot,” Karanjit alleged.Steven denied issuing any directive to fire and claimed workers’ arrival raised concerns over a possible land grab. “I asked to speak to the owner. One man on the phone said he owned six mills and used rough language. I asked the workers to leave and went back inside. Later, I was told the gunman opened fire in self-defence after he was allegedly attacked,” he said. Steven said he and his wife were inside their home. “If they were following Punjab urban planning and development authority (Puda) norms, we had no issue,” he said.
