It has been more than four and a half years since the tragic killing of Neha Shoree, a 36-year-old Punjab FDA officer, and her family continues to seek justice for her murder. Her father, Captain (retd) Kailash Kumar Shoree, a veteran of the 1971 war, has tirelessly pursued a fresh investigation into the cold-blooded murder, alleging that the Punjab Police mishandled the initial probe and deliberately disregarded crucial evidence pointing to the involvement of other culprits, likely linked to the drug mafia responsible for the heinous crime.
The police inquiry concluded with the submission of a closure report, asserting that no evidence implicating anyone other than the assailant, Balwinder Singh, was discovered. Balwinder Singh had taken his own life on the same fateful day, March 29, 2019, after killing Neha Shoree, who was serving as the Zonal Drug Licensing Authority in Kharar, Mohali.
According to the police, Balwinder Singh, a resident of Morinda, Rupnagar, owned a chemist shop that had been subjected to an FDA raid in 2009. Neha, who was a probationary officer at the time, was part of the team that uncovered Balwinder's illicit sale of unauthorized drugs. As a result, the FDA revoked his chemist shop's license. It is reported that Balwinder later attempted to obtain a new license in his wife's name, which was denied. The police theory suggests that Neha Shoree was murdered due to personal animosity harbored by the accused against her.
Notably, Neha Shoree had filed an internal report on July 14, 2018, with the then Drug Controller, highlighting the misuse of Buprenorphine and other drugs by private drug de-addiction centers. Her family believes that this report could be the primary motive behind her murder, as corrupt politicians, police officials, and private drug addiction centers were allegedly profiting from the illegal sale of controlled drugs.
Investigations have revealed that in 2019 alone, 23 private de-addiction centers in Punjab illicitly sold nearly five crore Buprenorphine tablets, equivalent to a staggering Rs 100 crore, without proper documentation. These drugs were being misused for recreational purposes, as Buprenorphine is an opioid agonist with effects similar to opium. The Punjab Health Department's findings showed that 17% of individuals enrolled in treatment programs were addicted to this drug.
Allegations were raised against the then Congress government, accusing them of attempting to cover up the Buprenorphine misuse case and refusing to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which was conducting its investigation. The state government declined to provide the purchase and dispensation records for Buprenorphine, and it was alleged that drug usage data had been manipulated by authorities and private de-addiction centers to mislead the investigating agency. This controversy even created turmoil in the state assembly.
Neha Shoree's parents have sought a CBI probe by petitioning the Punjab and Haryana High Court, contending that the Punjab Police's investigation was insufficient. Captain Kailash Kumar Shoree stated that the case had seen numerous hearings, most of which were adjourned, and emphasized that evidence indicated it was a double murder, with distinct wounds found on the victim and the assailant, implying two different weapons were used. The family also suspects police misconduct, alleging that the bullets used in both murders have vanished. Additionally, data from Neha's mobile phone and laptop were erased, and her SIM card was missing. The police did not provide call details from the victim's and assailant's mobile phones.
The family's anguish is compounded by the fact that Neha Shoree was killed in front of her six-year-old niece, with office staff and other employees mysteriously absent during the shooting.
