Learning lessons from the recent firing incident at Kasauli, the Shimla district administration has decided to take extra precautionary measures by demanding additional police protection for the officials involved in removing illegal encroachments in the district.

Shimla Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap said, “We have written to the Director General of Police SR Mardi and Shimla Superintendent of Police Omapati Jamwal to provide additional security forces armed with weapon to the SIT constituted by High Court that is undertaking the task to remove the encroachments in the Kothkai-Jubbal area in Shimla district.”

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All the Sub-Divisional Magistrates in the district have been instructed to take all necessary steps to ensure compliance of the orders and to maintain law and order, he added.

The orders have been issued in order to prevent any untoward incident in the process of evacuation of illegal possession of land in the district, said Amit Kashyap.

He disclosed that in Shimla district alone there are as many as over 13,000 holders of licensed weapons.

According to the statistics released by the Home Ministry last year as on 31 December, 2016, HP has around 77,069 licensed gun holders.

Furthermore, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap has also ordered that all the license holders to deposit their weapons, in nearby police stations against whom the action has been initiated to remove illegal possession of land.

This order will be applicable for the next two months.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court last month on 26 April, had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the eviction of 13 people who have encroached upon approximately 2,800 bighas of government land.

The SIT includes Daroh Police Training College Principal Soumya Sambasivan, Shimla additional Deputy Commissioner Debasweta Banik, Chief Conservator Forest (EAP) Alok Nagar and Rohru Divisional Forest Officer CB Tashildar.

The SIT have been directed to carry out the eviction and report compliance one the next date of hearing, they have also been asked to submit the compliance report on 9 May that has been fixed for hearing.

The court on the basis of the affidavit filed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Forest Management) AC Sharma on 11 April noticed that the Rohru sub-division, itself had at least 13 cases of encroachment over more than 100 bhigas now stand identified.

The SIT has been asked to submit the compliance report on 9 May that has been fixed for hearing.

The evictions against 13 persons include villages of Pahar in Jubbal, Barthata, Badhal, Dhar, old Jubbal, Berli, Balai, Shillar and Chhajpur in Shimla district.