Residents allege fake encounter by security forces

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI, DEC. 26. Shocked residents of the Muslim-dominated Batla House colony in South Delhi are yet to come to grips with the fact that one of the main accused in the Red Fort shoot-out case was living in their midst.

Even as the police claimed they had killed Abu Samaal and arrested Ashfaq Ahmed after an encounter this morning, eyebrows were raised over the way the police and other central security agencies stormed the colony.

Hardly had the residents finished their morning namaaz that they were jolted by the rattle of gunshots. As they came out of their homes, the presence of a large contingent of armed police made them realise that something major had taken place in the locality.

By the time they could make enquiries, policemen and personnel of other central security agencies carried away the body of one of the alleged militants. ``It happened in less than half-an-hour. By the time we came to know it was a gunbattle between militants and security agencies, it was all over. All this happened so swiftly and discreetly that it is hard to believe militants were hiding here,'' a resident said.

By afternoon, a large crowd gathered outside the G-73 multistorey apartment. Some people raised questions about the police action and allegations of ``fake encounter'' and ``nabbing of innocents'' were openly expressed.

``The way the entire operation was carried out is indicative of a pre-conceived drama to save their skin after the Red Fort incident. It has all the trappings of a fake encounter,'' Haji Abdul Azmi, a senior citizen of the area, alleged. He had just finished his namaaz when he saw the police take away the body. Mr. Iftaqar Ahmed, a businessmen staying with his family in the same building, said a large police contingent swooped down on the area at about 1-30 a.m. and arrested one of the two boys staying in the first floor apartment. ``Thereafter the whole night we stayed awake. After 5 a.m. we heard gunshots in which the other boy was killed,'' he said. Other residents of the building corroborated this version.

Referring to the police claim that AK-56 rifles and hand grenades were recovered from Batla House and that a militant had been killed in an encounter, Mohammad C. Khan said, ``Had they been hardcore militants, they would not have given up so easily.''

About a dozen bullet marks were found on the door of the apartment while there was only one on the wall of the building across the road. ``Such a fierce encounter, which the police claim went on for more than 20 minutes, caused no damage to the flat from outside, except that the glasspanes of a window broke. How can that be,'' questioned Mr. Azmi.

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