JOIN US Five days after serial blasts rocked the capital — killing 26 people and leaving over 133 injured – on September 19, inspector Mohan Chand Sharma posted with Delhi Police special cell received a tip-off that some miscreants, allegedly of Indian Mujahideen, were holed up in flat 108, L18, Batla House at Jamia Nagar.
He informed sub-inspector Rahul Kumar at special cell Lodi Colony office, at 8 am and asked him to make an entry in the police diary and form a raid party. Two teams comprising inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, sub-inspectors Rahul Kumar, Dharmender Kumar, Ravinder Tyagi, Devender, Dalip Kumar, Rakesh Malik, assistant SI Anil Tyagi, head constables Manish, Satender Kumar, Balwant, Rajbir, Udaivir, Rajiv, Vinod Gautam and constable Birender Negi were formed and the men in plainclothes left in different vehicles for L18, Batla House.
Around 10.15 am, one team reached Abbasi Chowk at Batla House. Rakesh and Manish went to Saheen Bagh in Jamia Nagar to verify an address as directed by Sharma.
Around 10.45 am, Sharma along with other team members reached the spot. After briefing, Dharmender was sent upstairs, posing as a Vodafone executive, to ascertain the presence of suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) members inside the flat.
He returned and confirmed that some people were in the flat. Seven plainclothesmen led by Sharma went to conduct the raid while the rest were asked to wait on the street. Sharma and team knocked on the main door but there was no response.
“We tried to open the main door, but it was bolted from inside. Another door to the left of the main door was closed but not bolted. The team broke into the flat,” said then sub-inspector Rahul Kumar, now an inspector. As soon they entered the drawing room, people inside fired from two directions. Trapped, the policemen retaliated. During the shootout, Sharma, Balwant and one accused sustained bullet wounds.