Rahul was not shot from close range

Putting an end to all speculation surrounding the death of Patna migrant Rahul Raj Singh (25), the ballistics report on the case has given a clean chit to the Mumbai police. Rahul was shot dead after he held a BEST bus hostage on October 27. CM Vilasrao Deshmukh had asked for a probe to find out whether Rahul was shot at point blank range.
The State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL), Kalina, handed over the report to the police yesterday. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria confirmed receiving it and said, "Rahul's clothes that were sent for examination have not shown any black powder residue around the entry points of the bullet injuries and the shooting did not take place within the powder range." Powder range, a ballistic term, means a three metre distance from the target. The police have also sent Rahul's skin samples for testing to the SFSL. A forensic expert explained that Rahul's skin would be tested only for the presence of gunpowder. Forensic experts have given a clean chit to the police team which shot dead Rahul Raj, a Patna resident who hijacked a BEST bus at Kurla on October 26' 2008. There was a political uproar following the shooting and some Bihar politicians had alleged that the youth was shot dead in cold blood. The state government then launched a formal inquiry into the shooting.

The chemical analysis report said that there was absence of blackening and powder residue around the periphery of bullet holes on Raj's skin. It further says that the injuries are far "beyond the powder range of the weapon''. This means that the bullets were fired from a distance of at least four to five metres. The three firearms -- a 303 rifle and two 9 mm pistols -- from which the bullets were shot at Rahul, were sent for ballistic examination. The ballistic expert report which is also attached with this report says that the police weapons were in perfect working condition, ruling out the theory that the firing was from close range.

Four bullets, all fired from pistols, hit Rahul on his chest and face.

The FSL expert also examined the BEST bus frame which was pierced by some bullets in the exchange of fire. "After examining everything in minute detail, it is now concluded that the police team fired from a safe distance of around five metres and above,'' said an FSL official on condition of anonymity. The officials of Grant Medical College also told chief secretary Johny Joseph during the inquiry that prima facie, Raj was not shot from pointblank or close range.

Rahul Raj, who had held the BEST bus passenger hostage on October 26, on Andheri Kurla road was gunned down by the police. Rahul Raj had claimed that he had come to kill MNS chief Raj Thackeray over latter's drive against Biharis. Rahul had tried to strangulate the bus conductor and had even fired two rounds in which a passenger Manoj Bhagat received a bullet injury. A day after the post-mortem, Dr B G Chikhalkar, part of the post-mortem team, had said there was a dark mark around the bullet injury on the face, indicative of the fact that the bullet was fired from close range. But Dr Chikhalkar, who had repeated this statement on TV, soon retracted what he had said.