Date:21/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/21/stories/2008092157470200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Mohan Chand Sharma played a role in Tamil Nadu as well

S. Vijay Kumar

He led a special team of Delhi Police to Tirunelveli

CHENNAI: When it came to anti-terrorist operations and counter measures, Mohan Chand Sharma, the much acclaimed Special Cell Inspector of Delhi Police, played a role in Tamil Nadu as well. Mr. Sharma fell to the bullets of suspected terrorists in an encounter in New Delhi on Friday.

When an email that warned of bomb blasts triggered an exhaustive security drill at Parliament and the US Embassy in December 2005, it was this highly decorated Inspector who led a special team of the Delhi Police to Tirunelveli from where the email was sent.

Expert in technical surveillance

For about a fortnight, Mr. Sharma camped in Madurai and Tirunelveli, and was assisted by the local police in combing operations. “He was an expert in technical surveillance. Even after credible information was received that the suspect who sent the email had escaped to Sri Lanka, Mr. Sharma was in touch with us about his movements and other intelligence information,” a senior police officer, who worked with him, said.

During the investigation, Mr. Sharma is said to have put together bits and pieces of information in Tamil Nadu pertaining to email threats, extremist activities and terrorist links with other agencies.

“Though the owner of an internet browsing centre (from where the email was sent) was taken into custody, he could hardly give any clue leading to the arrest of the suspect. However, based on the inputs given by him, Mr. Sharma sat with experts to develop a computer-aided image that was sent to security agencies across the country,” the official said and added that Mr. Sharma always felt that the task given to him in Tamil Nadu remained unfinished.

The Special Cell had registered a case in the Lodhi Road police station in connection with the email threat against unknown persons under Section 121 (waging or attempting to wage a war against the nation) and Section 18 and 20 of the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act, 1967.

Wreath

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), T. Rajendran, told The Hindu that Maheswar Dayal, Commandant of the Tamil Nadu Special Police (VIII Battalion), placed a wreath on the body in New Delhi on behalf of the State Police.