Shootout at Jamia Nagar- DP gun down 2 Terrorist

It lasted for less than half an hour, and a total of 33 shots — 25 by the cops, eight by terrorists — were exchanged. But the reverberations of the battle of Batla House will be felt far and wide, for many days. After a fierce shootout in Jamia Nagar area, Delhi Police killed two terrorists, including key SIMI operative Bashir alias Atiq, who allegedly played a crucial role in the September 13 Delhi blasts. But it also lost a gallant officer, Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma of the special cell. Inspector Sharma fell victim to terrorist bullets. Shot thrice, once in the stomach, the 42-yearold cop was rushed to the Holy Family Hospital in critical condition and breathed his last on Friday evening. Head constable Balwant Singh, who was also injured, is out of danger. The other terrorist who was killed has been identified as Mohammad Sajid. Cops also arrested Mohammad Saif, a resident of Azamgarh, from the flat that the group had rented posing as students, while two others managed to flee. One more person was later picked up for questioning from Jhandewalan. He has been identified as Zeeshan, and is said to have shared a room with Atiq. The death of Inspector Sharma cast a pall over celebrations among cops and intelligence agencies over the shooting of Bashir. An Azamgarh resident like Sajid and Saif, Bashir is also believed by security agencies to have been involved in the July 26 blasts in Ahmedabad. The special cell squad reached the fourth floor of house no. L-18, within the Batla House area of Jamia Nagar, following credible inputs about the presence of a person whose physical appearance tallied with that of a senior SIMI operative repeatedly mentioned by those held for the Ahmedabad blasts. A special cell team, helped by inputs from the Intelligence Bureau and Gujarat and Maharashtra police, ‘developed’ the information about the presence of suspects in the house near Khaliullah Mosque. According to police sources, Sub-Inspector Dharmendra then went to the place, posing as a salesman. After seeing suspicious characters, who told him to go away, he gave a missed call to Sharma, who was standing downstairs with his team. Sharma charged up, gunfire was exchanged, and two terrorists died. But three more rushed in from another room and took the raiding party by surprise. Sharma received fatal wounds during this exchange. Though one of the three was captured, two managed to escape.