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Fire Down Below

An eyewitness account takes the sheen off a Delhi Police anti-terrorist operation <a href=pti_coverage.asp?gid=290>More Coverage </a>

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Fire Down Below
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  • Where are the 24 spent cartridges from the terrorists' pistols? The police claims of an encounter could have at least been partially established if it had produced the spent cartridges. Also, forensic tests on the militants can detect residual gunpowder on their hands. This will establish if the militants had actually fired their pistols.
  • The police is yet to furnish the list of phone calls the militants allegedly made to Pakistan, Dubai and Mumbai during the last three months. In the normal course, such numbers are made public. Why are they dragging their feet this time?

  • How is it that the FIR lodged for a car stolen in July was only registered on November 5, two days after the shoot-out? This was the car used by the militants.

  • Dr Krishna's statement is being discredited, but why hasn't he been questioned?

  • Why isn't an independent ballistic expert being called in to verify the weapons used in the shoot-out? If the police wants to establish veracity, it can even accept the NHRC's guidelines which recommends that an independent investigating agency probe cases of deaths in police encounters. Strangely, the same Special Cell officers involved in the operation are also investigating the case.

  • Why is the police not countering Dr Krishna's testimony by producing other witnesses to rubbish his claim, especially when there are now reports that he has a criminal record? This could strengthen its case.

  • Why hasn't the post-mortem been conducted though (at the time of writing) 72 hours had elapsed since the incident? The police is taking cover behind the technicality that it is awaiting mea clearance. A post mortem could disprove allegations that the militants were sedated and shot at point-blank range.

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