With the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony exactly a fortnight away, an already security-conscious Delhi received a sudden scare on Sunday morning with two unidentified men on a motorcycle firing several rounds at a stationary minibus carrying several foreigners close to Gate No. 3 of the historic Jama Masjid in the walled city. Two of them, identified as Taiwanese nationals, were injured in the firing, and one is in critical condition in hospital.
A red alert has been sounded across Delhi following the incident. The Union home ministry is closely monitoring the situation, and the Delhi police and the intelligence agencies have swung into action to identify those responsible, The motorcycle has been traced to one Yatinder, a resident of Nangloi.
Three hours later, a Maruti 800 went up in flames when a “crudely-circuited” pressure cooker bomb exploded metres away from Jama Masjid, but luckily no one was injured. The owner of the car, Bobby, and the motorcycle owner, Yatinder, have been detained for questioning. The gunmen are yet to be apprehended.
Immediately after the shooting incident, the Indian Mujahideen sent out an emailed “warning” to the BBC Hindi Service and some news agencies that it would disrupt the Games. The police and security agencies are examining the possible involvement of both the Indian Mujahideen as well as the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (Simi). Sunday was the second anniversary of the Batla House firing incident.
The security agencies suspect that Sunday’s shooting could have been the work of a sleeper cell of some terrorist outfits. CCTV footage and call records from six mobile towers are being studies. The police has, however, ruled out the involvement of any organised terror group in the attack.
Home ministry officials refused to speculate about the identity of the attackers or the motive behind the attack. “The (security) agencies are looking at all aspects,” a senior official said. “We are yet to receive a detailed report from the Delhi police.” It is learnt that the Centre might issue a fresh alert or advisory if a “terror” angle can be established behind Sunday’s incident.
Five Taiwanese nationals had gone to visit Jama Masjid on Sunday morning. They came out of the mosque at around 11 am and were getting inside the minibus parked in front of Gate No. 3, around 100 meters from the residence of Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Ahmed Bukhari and the local police station, when the two bikers, wearing raincoats and helmets, appeared from an adjacent lane and opened fire. The two Taiwanese who got hit were identified as Ko Chang and Ku Ze Wei. While 27-year-old Ku Ze Wei had a miraculous escape as the bullet grazed his head, 25-year-old Ko Chang was hit in the right abdomen. The minibus also had one of its windows shattered and a bullet pierced its body.
There was total chaos and people started running for cover. Due to the incessant downpour since the morning, however, there was not much of a crowd on the roads. In the midst of the melee, a rickshawpuller who was having his morning tea decided to strike back: he picked up some stones and started hurling these at the bikers from behind. Caught unawares by this counter-attack, the gunmen sped off. The police said they had fired around seven to eight rounds. A lone lathi-weilding constable, Pramod, who heard the gunshots and rushed to the spot, chased the gunmen but the bikers were far ahead of him, eyewitnesses said.
Hearing the gunshots, Imam Bukhari had also come out of his house. The injured were rushed to the nearby Loknayak Jayaprakash Hospital. Panic gripped the locality and shops started pulling down their shutters. The police soon arrived and cordoned off the area. The gunmen were later found to have abandoned the motorcycle near Meena Bazar, around 300 meters from the spot.
Delhi police joint commissioner Karnail Singh said four cartridges recovered from the spot showed that the weapon used could be of 9 mm or .538 bore, used in automatic pistols. “We are looking into all angles and cannot jump to conclusions,” he said. Searches are being conducted at various points across the city and adjoining areas.
It is suspected that the shooting could have been aimed at creating a sense of panic among foreign athletes and other visitors coming for the Games. Indiscriminate firing without any specific motive directed at foreign tourists gave credence to the scare angle, the security agencies feel. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said the incident was “sad and worrying”, but she insisted there was no need to panic. “I am in constant touch
with the police commissioner. The police is investigating, and the culprits will be caught. Everything is under control,” she said. The CM added that if needed, security would be reinforced.
The five Taiwanese nationals had come to New Delhi earlier this week as part of a cultural exchange
programme. They were also expected to film a documentary. They were booked at the Rock Star Hotel at Safdarjung Encalve for two weeks. Following the incident, however, they plan to leave India as soon as the injured are out of hospital.
Home minister P. Chidambaram, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, the Shahi Imam and some local politicians visited the injured in hospital. They were admitted there at around 11.45 am. The police later cordoned off the hospital.
Taiwanese representative in India Philip Wen-Chyi Ong and Delhi health minister Kiran Walia also visited the hospital.