Death run: Special cell loses another key man

The ghost of the Batla House encounter has again come to haunt the Delhi Police Special Cell, reports Karan Choudhury.

The ghost of the Batla House encounter has again come to haunt the Delhi Police Special Cell.

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After losing their best man, Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in the controversial shootout, 40-year-old Head Constable Rajbir, who was also in the team that eliminated the alleged terrorists in Batla House in 2008, died in an accident at Shahjahan Pur in Uttar Pradesh, in which five others were seriously injured.

The accident occurred on Tuesday night, when the team of Special Cell officers was returning from Lucknow, after assisting the Crime Branch in transferring Shahzad alias Pappu to Delhi. Shahzad, who was arrested in Lucknow, was allegedly involved in the Delhi serial blasts and also believed to have killed MC Sharma during the Batla House encounter.

The crime branch brought Pappu back to Delhi by air while the special cell team was coming back by road. On February 16, Rajbir was supposed to get Police Medal for his bravery in the encounter, which would have to be given posthumously.

Also Sub-Inspector Ravinder Tyagi who was also a member of Sharma’s team was seriously injured in the incident.

“We are making arrangements to bring the body of Rajbir to the city. Also Tyagi is being brought to Delhi for treatment,” said JCP (Special Cell) PN Aggarwal.