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Kolkata
American Center Attackers Shot Dead
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| Indian
police tightened security around US Center in Calcutta |
By
Our India Correspondent
NEW
DELHI, Jan. 28 (Islamonline) - Two alleged ‘Pakistani terrorists’ were shot
dead in an encounter with the police in the eastern Indian city of Hazaribagh
early today, reported the PTI, official Indian News Agency (PTI).
Local
police claimed they were involved in 22 January’s attack on the American
Center at Kolkata [Calcutta]. Those killed have been identified as Mohammed
Idris, alias Mohammed Zaheed and Salim.
Both
belong to Khanawal in Multan in the Punjab province of Pakistan, claimed a
police officer who disclosed that the raid was conducted by a joint team of
Delhi and Hazaribagh police. He said that following a tip-off, the team
conducted the raid on a hideout of the alleged Pakistani terrorists in the city
at 2.30 a.m.
Union Home Secretary Kamal Pande told reporters in New Delhi this morning that
Idris confessed their involvement in the Kolkata attack.
According to the police version, the raiding force cordoned off the entire
predominantly Muslim area and commanded the militants holed up in a house there
to surrender and got the nearby houses vacated.
The
militants, according to this version, refused to give themselves up and tried to
sneak out of the house at 6.30 a.m. after opening a volley of fire.
In the ensuing encounter, Saleem was shot dead on the spot, while Idris, who was
critically wounded, died at the city’s Sadar hospital.
Officials claimed that Idris, in his dying declaration before the police,
admitted to having shot dead four policemen at the American Center on January
22. There is no other evidence backing up the police version.
The
Indian police is notorious for fabricating evidence and routinely resorts to
third degree torture to extract confessions. It has been repeatedly condemned by
human rights organizations and courts.
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