[Reader-list] Gujarat DCP shoots Muslim inspector twice in mock anti-terror drill

[Javed]

‘Sir, don’t... I am not a terrorist,’ pleaded ATS inspector as DCP
shot him twice

Even Muslim police officers are not safe from fake encounters....

Surat: Posted: Sunday , Mar 14, 2010 at 0319 hrs

“Sir, don’t... I am not a terrorist.”
This is what Gujarat Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) inspector Shabbirali
Saiyed says he had shouted, just before Deputy Commissioner of Police
Subhash Trivedi shot him twice in the abdomen from point blank range
during the mock anti-terror drill that went haywire at the Surat
Airport on February 24.

Saiyed still cannot comprehend how and why he was shot by the senior
officer. No officer was supposed to carry or use live arms and
ammunition. That apart, Saiyed told The Sunday Express that the entire
drill had been meticulously planned, including the exact role each cop
would play. “All the officials in the drill had been briefed
thoroughly about the role of each. I was to be only an observer tasked
to find out what mistakes the commandos and other officials commit
during rescue operations.”

DCP Subhash Trivedi, SP Barot of ATS and a few other officers were
tasked to act as doctors and rush to a bus in the parking lot of the
airport in which some officials acting as terrorists were holding
‘passengers’ hostage.

Saiyed recalled: “Subhash Trivedi rushed to the bus and caught hold of
me tightly, though I was supposed to be only an obeserver. I pleaded,
“Sir , don’t... I am not a terrorist, I am the observer.” But he
refused to let go of me and we had a scuffle. I was left struggling to
get out of his clutches when he pulled out his service revolver and
opened fire, from point blank range. I fell and lost consciousness.”

The .38 calibre bullet entered through his stomach and exited. Saiyed
is still to recover but is now out of danger.

Interestingly, the DCP, according to Saiyed, was not even tasked to
take on or grapple with any ‘terrorist’ in the drill, since he was
acting as a member of a team of ‘doctors’ at the spot who would only
recce the scene to find out how many hostages and terrorists were in
the bus. “He was to have only ascertained their numbers to pass on the
information to the others in the actual rescue team, so that they
could plan and execute the operation,” according to Inspector Saiyed.

Surat police Commisioner Shivanand Jha confirmed it. “Saiyed was
deputed as an observer on the spot. He was standing near the entry
door of bus. DCP Subhash Trivedi was tasked to act as a doctor to
recce the scene and find out how many hostages were being held by how
many terrorists, and the weapons they possessed.” The ‘doctor’,
apparently, was not expected to carry any weapon, much less a loaded
service revolver.

So what went horribly wrong? The police claim they have no answers to
share, yet. “We are still doing a free and fair investigation. At this
moment it is difficult to come to any conclusion. We have taken the
statements of several airport staff who were also present there and
statements of several police officials who witnessed the incident,”
Jha said.

When The Sunday Express contacted Trivedi, he refused to comment.

The investigation is being headed by Jha’s deputy and ATS chief Ajay
Tomar. A complaint was registered at Umra police station soon after
Saiyed was shot while state DGP S S Khandwawala directed Tomar to
carry out a departmental inquiry.

“After preliminary investigations, we have found that the incident was
an accident and the firing had not been done deliberately. But we are
waiting for the final report and the report from ballistic experts
before coming to any conclusion,” said Khandwawala. Asked if an FIR
would be registered against DCP Trivedi, Khandwawala said: “Let the
report come and later, on its basis, we will take further action. Both
the officials are from police department _ they are not some criminals
_ so it is premature to say anything at this juncture.”

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sir-dont...-i-am-not-a-terrorist-pleaded-ats-inspector-as-dcp-shot-him-twice/590554/0