The constable, Anand Khatri (32), was posted in the southwest cell of the police's anti-terrorist unit around three months ago.
A constable in Delhi Police's Special Cell died of a bullet injury when he lost balance and his AK 47 rifle accidentally went off during an operation to nab a wanted criminal in outer Delhi's Rohini area today, police said.
The constable, Anand Khatri (32), was posted in the southwest cell of the police's anti-terrorist unit around three months ago. During the operation, the bullet hit his chin, said a police officer.
"It was a case of accidental firing. The official was rushed to a hospital but his life could not be saved," Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Arvind Deep said.
According to the police, the incident took place around 5.30 am, when a Special Cell team went to a single-storey building in Rohini's Sector 21, following a tip-off that a wanted criminal, Ashok alias Sonu, and his associates were hiding there.
Sonu (30), who is allegedly associated with southwest Delhi-based gangster Manjit Mahal and history-sheeter Ravinder Bholu, was wanted in connection with nine criminal cases - including murder, extortion and robberies - across Delhi-NCR and Delhi Police had announced an reward of Rs 20,000 on his arrest.
Sonu was being tracked for around the past two months by a team led by two inspectors TIlak Chand Bisht and Rajesh under the supervision of ACP (Special Cell) Sandeep Byala.
The raid to nab Sonu was conducted by a Special Cell team, with the help of local police from the Begumpur police station.
Once the team reached the single-storey house in which Sonu had holed up, they realised that he was hiding at the terrace, while his associates had fled, police said.
The local police was asked to surround the entire house and officials of the Special Cell team, including Mr Khatri, climbed the terrace, said police.
Sonu was nabbed from there and as the police team was in the process of bringing him down from the terrace, which had no permanent stairs, Mr Khatri lost his balance and fell, police said.
"In such operations, the guns are always cocked to ensure spontaneity. It was by the impact of the fall that the AK 47 went off and the bullet hit him," a senior police officer said.