NEW DELHI, January 17: One person was killed and three injured in a shootout at a west Delhi hospital this morning. Two private security guards opened fire on a group of people during the Pulse Polio drive at Guru Gobind Singh Hospital in Raghubir Nagar at around 11 a.m. while policemen watched.The police claim that the guards opened fire after the victim, Sham Kawla tried to enter the hospital premises from the rear and break the queue. The eyewitnesses say the incident happened after a fight between locals and the guards. A case of murder and rioting has been registered. The residents allege that the guards were trying to molest the women on the protest of putting them in the queue when their husbands intervened. ``Even as the men were arguing and pushing, two of the guards fired,'' says a person who was present when the shootout took place.Says Prem, Sham's cousin: ``Sham was sitting outside his jhuggi and he rushed to see what was happening after he heard all that noise. There he found that the guards had taken one of his friends, Kanti Bhai, towards one side and were beating him. He along with a few others intervened and the two security guards opened fire. He received injuries in his chest and neck.''Prem and several others insist that this all happened in full view of the crowd and the police. They add that the policemen were trying to control the crowds and were taken unawares when the two guards, Dhananjay and Ajay, opened fire.Sham, 21, used to stay in a jhuggi cluster opposite the hospital with his wife Sunita and younger brother Bhiku. Sunita, who is pregnant, said: ``He left home after having a cup of tea and the next thing I know was the neighbours saying that he had been shot and taken to the hospital. Hedid not even get to see his child being born.''Says Balraj Singh Dahiya, SHO, Rajouri Garden: ``We have arrested all the four guards and are investigating the matter. Police force has been deployed at the hospital to keep the situation under control.'' He admitted that ``one or two'' policemen were there on routine patrolling when the incident took place. ``They were trying to control the crowds when the guards opened fire. Interrogation is still going on and we are yet to ascertain whether the guards fired in air before firing at the men,'' he says.The injured are Man Singh, who received pellet injuries in his neck and right shoulder, Kanu Bhaiya, who received pellet injuries on his head and Kanti Bhai, who was hit with the rifle butt.
