The Hindu : New Delhi News : S-I killed in encounter

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

S-I killed in encounter

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 30. Mehtab Singh, a young sub-inspector with the Special Cell of the Delhi police, was killed in an encounter with a sharpshooter of the dreaded gangster, Krishan Pehalwan, at Panipat in Haryana today. The accused was gunned down and two of his suspected accomplices were rounded up in the operation.

It all happened around 4-45 p.m. when a Special Cell team under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Rajbir Singh, was hot on the trail of Sundre, a hit-man of the Krishan Pehalwan gang. The police had information that Sundre -- who was wanted in an Arms Act registered by the Special Cell a month ago and an extortion case and was living there under the pseudonym Amit -- would come to Outer Sugar Colony on a motorcycle.

On spotting Sundre and two of his accomplices, the 12-member team headed by Sub-Inspector Mehtab challenged them. Sundre, who was the second pillion rider, opened fire at the police team. The first bullet hit Mehtab in the leg, forcing him to duck. Sundre fired another bullet that hit Mehtab on the chin. Despite getting hurt, Mehtab fired in retaliation. The other team members also opened fire, killing Sundre on the spot, after which they detained the other two suspects, who later identified themselves as Pradeep and his uncle, Ranbir.

Mehtab was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), Karnal Singh, said the bullet that hit Mehtab on the chin proved fatal. Soon after the news reached the Capital, Mr. Singh and other senior colleagues of Mehtab rushed to Panipat. This is the first time in the eight-year-long history of the Special Cell that its team member has lost his life during an operation. Mehtab had joined the Delhi police in 1997 and on the basis of his good performance in the investigations during his posting in West Delhi he was transferred to the Special Cell. He played a significant role in solving the terrorist attack on Parliament. Mehtab, who had a knack of identifying unscrupulous elements, was also instrumental in the arrest of Mehboob Ali from Najafgarh in South-West Delhi last year, which led to the arrest of some militants. He was involved in as many as 40 operations during his stint in the Special Cell.

It was just a month after the murder of a Crime Branch Sub-Inspector, Satish Dalal, and his informer at Mangolpuri in North West Delhi this March, that a Special Cell team comprising Mehtab had gunned down Vinod Sansi, one of the accused in the case.

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