Police quiz witnesses on shoot-out

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 3. The Crime Branch of Delhi police today questioned about a dozen security personnel, including the injured Marine Commando, Satvir Singh, in connection with the shooting incident at the Naval House here in the wee hours of December 1.

While Satvir Singh was examined at the Army Base Hospital, where he is admitted for treatment, the other security personnel, including Marine Commando Vinod Naik, who was posted at the Naval Chief, Admiral Sushil Kumar's residence on the night of the incident, were interrogated elsewhere.

Though the officials are silent on the outcome of the questioning, sources said the exercise has provided them some vital clues and they are hopeful of making further progress during a common questioning of all the persons.

Others who were cross-examined include Ms. Suchitra - niece of Ms. Mridula Sinha, chairperson of the Kendriya Samaj Kalyan Board - who was present in the adjoining bungalow and claimed to have heard the shots, and Mr. Latur Singh, an employee of Ms. Sinha, who claimed that soon after the firing he heard a knocking on his room window.

The investigation has so far not established if the shooting was an insider job or otherwise. Police sources say the picture would become clearer once they receive the CFSL report on the empty shells found at the spot and the cordex wire recovered from the Admiral's bungalow.

A number of questions are also perturbing the investigators. One, they have not been able to make out how come the first call about the incident at 1.11 a.m. came to the police control room from the Special Protection Group personnel posted at the Prime Minister's residence about a kilometre away. ``If someone had informed the SPG about the shooting which took place at about 12- 50 a.m., he could have called us straight also. And if the SPG made a call on its own on hearing the gunshot, then how did it know that the firing had taken place at 12 Rajaji Marg?'' asked an officer.

The Crime Branch are also wondering as to why not even one of the 20 bullets fired by the well-trained commando, Satvir Singh, hit the intruder and on the other hand Satvir Singh was injured by one of the two shots purportedly fired by the intruder. Moreover, investigators have not found any empty shell from the weapon used by the intruder. Neither have they recovered the bullet which passed through Satvir's leg.

Also, the manner in which the intruder fled without disturbing any of the numerous pots which lay on his way and without leaving any imprints of his feet on the wet ground, has left the Crime Branch with much to ponder about.

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Section  : National
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