The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Home guard shot dead in terror attack

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Home guard shot dead in terror attack

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: Unidentified gunmen fired shots at a police picket in old city killing a home guard and critically injuring another constable in Falaknuma, barely 200 yards from the police station, on the second anniversary of the bomb blast in Mecca Masjid, on Monday.

The injured constable, Rajendra Prasad, is being treated at Care Hospital in Banjara Hills, while the home guard Balaswamy (24) was declared dead on arrival at the Osmania General Hospital. The unarmed policemen were on a picket duty on the Falaknuma main road on account of the second anniversary of the Masjid blast which left nine dead and another five persons dead in the subsequent police firing to quell violent mobs.

Police said a pamphlet found on the spot believed to have been left by the assailants claimed that the attack was in retaliation to the death of five persons in police firing on the day of Mecca Masjid blast. The pamphlet also mentioned that more such attacks would be carried out.

Zonal DCP Atul Singh said two youngsters, both carrying short firearms, walked up to the policemen and opened fire from a close range, around 4 p.m.

While constable Rajendra Prasad collapsed, Balaswamy ran to the nearby telephone booth apparently to call his higher-ups. But the assailants fired several shots at him and walked away quietly, even as passersby watched in horror.

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