‘Terrorists’ died of gunshot wounds

“Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid, the alleged terrorists who were killed in the encounter at Batla House on September 19, died specifically of fire-arm injuries,” said one of the forensic experts, reports Rhythma Kaul.

“Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid, the alleged terrorists who were killed in the encounter at Batla House on September 19, died specifically of fire-arm injuries,” said one of the forensic experts who did the autopsy at Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

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“I can say with 100 per cent assurance that both the men weren’t engaged in any scuffle before their death. There were no scuffle marks, but only bullet wounds on their bodies,” he said.

Physiological evidence indicated Atif and Sajid were both in their early 20s, with Sajid being slightly younger.

Since there was no age-related query from the police, it has not been revealed in the autopsy report. “Still, we have collected samples, and if the police ask us in future to ascertain their age, we can do it,” said the doctor.

During the autopsy, bullets were found lodged inside the bodies of both Atif and Sajid. Atif’s body had a total of 21 injuries spread across the torso and thighs.

One mark was on his right leg, which, the doctors say, could have been made when a bullet grazed past his leg.

When asked how many bullets were lodged inside the bodies, the doctor said that it was impossible to come up with a number.

“These days, the weapons have become very sophisticated. We get frangible bullets that explode inside the target, with one bullet making multiple wounds. We can tell you how many wounds were made by bullet injuries. How many bullets were fired is for the ballistic experts to correlate and determine,” he said.

The three-member forensic team worked overtime to submit the report within three days of the bodies being handed over to it on September 22.

The autopsy procedure unlike that for Inspector M.C. Sharma, who was also killed in the encounter was not done in-camera. “That’s because the police didn’t place any such request before us,” said the doctor.

As for making the report public, the doctor said, “No one can have access to the autopsy report within 90 days, not even the family.”

Inspector Sharma’s autopsy report was completed late on the night of September 26 but has still not been handed over to his family.