"THE ENCOUNTER"
As a matter of Rule and established practice, such operations are very meticulously planned, outlining the role of each and every member of the raiding party as well as positions to be taken by all of them. It is also predetermined when and under what circumstances fire will be opened and by whom. It is also pre-determined as to who shall "lead" the raid. (Normally, the "leader" in such circumstances is a sharp-shooter who is well insulated against enemy fire by a bullet proof vest etc. and who carries an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. Even then, suspects are at first challenged and ordered to surrender themselves and if they don't, or, worse, open fire on the police party, the police resorts to firing. In the case of this "encounter", the police have not even claimed that the door to the L-18 flat was found locked from inside. If it was not, the suspects were caught unawares, and if properly challenged, would have surrendered themselves. It is on record that Inspector Sharma had not accompanied the police party and had joined them later from a hospital where his son was under treatment. And so he was not wearing a bullet proof vest, and yet he is claimed to have "led" the encounter which is just not allowed under the rules.
The incomplete and incoherent account of the "encounter" given so far by the police is ridiculous, to say the least.

Prof. Dr. A. R. Undre
M.S. (BOM), F.R.C.S. (ENG), F.I.C.S. (USA)
Hon. Surgeon Jaslok Hospital, Lilavati Hospital & Head of the department of Surgery Saifee Hospital.

Dear Aziz Burney Saheb,
I must thank you for seeking my comment on the photographs of inspector Sharma who was in an encounter with alleged terrorists. I had the opportunity of treating several cases of stab and bullet wounds in J.J. Govt. Hospital
where was honorary surgeon & professor of surgery for 25 Years. On careful study of the photographs it is shocking to see the inspector Sharma is walking with the help of two of his colleagues while no ambulance is insight which in major operation (encounter) of this type one should be prepared for all eventualities. Usually a person's life can be saved if the bullet doesn't pierce the brain, heart or major vessels like aorta & venecava (main arteries & veins arising from & draining into heart) in which case person will collapse and will not be able to walk.
Barring these injuries the life of a patient can be saved by timely surgerical intervention.
It appears that the people assisting in carrying the injured inspector do not give the impression of being equipped with disaster management which is essential in crisis of this nature where anticipation and quick and timely action could have save the life of the valiant inspector. I would be interested to know the post mortem finding of Inspector Sharma.


The bullet wounds visible on Atif's dead body further confirm our conclusions arrived at after analyzing the photographs of Sajid's dead body. Before proceeding further, however, it seems necessary to point out the cardinal difference between an ante mortem and a post mortem injury. As soon as death occurs heart beat stops and no human or animal can 'bleed' after the heart function ceases because blood circulation ceases. So, however grievous an injury is caused to a dead body it will not bleed. But if a living body is shot blood will spurt or gush out immediately. The bullet wound at the lower part of the back of Sajid's neck tells quite a tale. Not only is blood oozing out after the post mortem examination and washing etc. of the body, but it has powder burns and the characteristic crust of a contact wound. Not even a spot of blood is visible on any of the other bullet wounds on the body. Another important point to be noted here is the fact that a headshot with a gun is taken only when there is full intent to kill, and not to maim or debilitate. The bullet wounds on both the dead bodies show two things beyond doubt.
(1)It looks both the boys were shot dead after they were overpowered or taken at gunpoint and asked to squat on the floor. Had they been shot in an "encounter" Atif would not have sustained bullet injuries on his chest as well as at the back of the neck.
(2)The distances and angles, from which shots were fired, coupled with several other circumstances, clearly indicate that the police party had gone to the spot with a planned intent to eliminate both. There was absolutely no attempt made to take the two deceased into custody.
Atif's body has bullet wounds on the left side of the upper back as well as on the left shoulder blade, but since there was no bleeding these wounds is post mortem. There are two bullet wounds on his chest. The one on his right is so located that the bullet must necessarily have pierced the right lung. In such injuries ( if ante mortem ) there is profuse bleeding from the mouth and the nose, as one breathes one bleeds, but since it was a post mortem wound so there was no such bleeding. On the left side of his chest there is a bullet wound on the lower part of the rib cage. This can be the bullet that presumably, but quite apparently, struck the lower rib, got deflected, struck the back rib and exited through the shoulder blade, but again being post mortem there was no bleeding. This clearly shows that the shot will be fired on the body lying on the floor by a person standing before it and the bullet's trajectory was from an angle of thirty degrees from the horizontal. While these two boys were being killed the third boy (who was arrested) was also present. But his position and movement etc. shall be depicted when we reconstruct the scene.
BOMB MAKING AT L-18:
As per police version the crude bombs ( IEDs as they are universally called ) exploded in Delhi were made at L-18. It is also on record that ammonium nitrate was used in the making of these bombs. It is, however, rather strange that no material pertaining to making bombs etc. was recovered from the site. It is even stranger that not only on the fateful day but even after the so called encounter, not even the common crime team, what to speak of forensic experts visited the scene; nor were sniffer dogs pressed into service to collect evidence of any explosives etc. ever having been stored inside L-18. It may be mentioned in passing that sniffer dogs are nowadays routinely used on all important railway stations and airports for security checking in Bombay and parts of Gujrat.
A FEW THINGS ABOUT AMMONIUM NITRATE : It is neither a naturally occurring substance nor a by product but a chemical compound usually in the form of an odorless white powder at room temperature which is highly soluble in water. Its basic use was in agriculture as a high nitrogen fertilizer. However, due to its oxidizing properties it can make an explosive mixture with any hydrocarbon as diesel, kerosene or even coal dust. Although certain other things are also required to use the mixture as an IED. Following points are relevant to the present issue as far as ammonium nitrate is concerned:
If a shot is fired by a person with an ordinary gun , the escaping gases leave a microscopic residue of cordite on the hand that fired and/or the sleeve of the garment worn by that person at the material time. This microscopic residue can be detected through an electronic microscope and other devices in a forensic lab and used as a clue during investigation or as scientific evidence during a trial. Anyone who has handled fireworks and crackers, especially "Phuljhari" on a festival must have experienced that the residue left on hands remains for days even after washing with soap etc. Likewise, in a place where explosives using ammonium nitrate have been made, even a cursory forensic investigation will detect either the chemical residue or at least the attempt to obliterate that residue if such an attempt has been made.
Even in cases of day to day crimes like burglaries and murders, the Crime Team of the local police arrives on the
scene and performs various tasks like lifting of finger prints to photography of vital materials and clues, and even the dog squad is pressed into service. Any weapons or other material to be seized is seized through duly executed memos in the presence of local witnesses. In the "encounter" at L-18, the legalities not performed and the illegalities resorted to by the police shall be brought forth in detail at a later stage. What seems vitally important to be pointed out right now is this: all govt. agencies charged with the duty of tackling the terrorist problem and situations arising there from ( including the Special Operations Cell of Delhi Police ) are bound not only to follow the law but a set of Rules made by the department as well as the Home Ministry especially when they go about conducting such raids to apprehend suspected terrorists. What are those rules? If the police don't tell you, we shall.