It was just another day in the life of a Police Inspector Mohan ChandSharma, the ace shooter of Delhi Police's elite anti-terror squad. Itbegan with a visit to a hospital to see his son who is down with Dengue.
Little did Sharma or his son realise that it would be their last meeting as he rushed to Jamia Nagar following a tip off that some militants involved in recent Delhi serial blasts were holed up there.
In the police version of events, a police team of 20 led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Yadav reached Jamia Nagar and took positions on the buildings around apartment block L-18 before between 9 and 10am.
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Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who was not wearing his regulation bullet-proof jacket, knocked on the front door of an apartment on the fourth floor of L-18 building around 11am. He asked the inmates of the house to come out for police verification. The police say the occupants, instead of coming out, opened fire from a .30 mm pistol.
The 41-year-old highly decorated Inspector was hit by three bullets -- in his abdomen, thigh and right arm.He was rushed to the nearby Holy Family Hospital.
"He was bleeding profusely," Reverend Arthur Thampu, medical director of the Holy FamilyHospital, said. By 7pm, he had succumbed to his injuries.
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"We have lost our best man," Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh mourned. Earlier, Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal described Mohan Chand as "one of our most brave officers".
In the 10 years since he joined the special cell, Inspector Sharma won six medals. He was involved in some of Delhi police's biggest cases. He had been involved in the operation that helped nail the men involved in the attack on Parliament and was credited with helping to kill 35 terrorists. Another 85, who were arrested, were also tracked down by him.
Sharma is survived by 2 children, a son and a daughter.
His son, a Class VIII student, is undergoing treatment forDengue at Kalra hospital for the past four days and Sharma always took time to visit his son despite being hardpressed with investigations into the serial blasts.His daughter is a Class VII student.
A family member said his wife is still in hospital with their son and has not seen Sharma's body.The body has been shifted to AIIMS for post mortem and the cremation is likely to be held tomorrow afternoon.
