By SHUBHAJIT Chakraborty

Lucknow, Feb, 19 – After 36 hours of battle – more of mental than physical, finally Lucknow police had captured a mentally unbalanced youth who locked himself in his house on Wednesday night and fired some 18 rounds at the police. He was captured after being given anesthesia, said police.

Shamim, son of a doctor in Bakshi-ka-Talab on the outskirts of Lucknow was a mentally rickety youth, locked himself in his room. When his father Shabeer Ahmad called the police, he refused to open the door. When an inspector and a few constables were sent to get him out, he began firing at them. He had fired around 18 rounds from his father’s double barrel licensed gun, injuring two policemen, including an inspector.

Relatives and his friends agreed that he was little unstable mentally but couldn’t specify any definite reasons for that. His friends said he was very depressed few years ago when he wanted to pursue a course that his parents wouldn’t allow to do. His depression was contemplated because of not allowed him in pursuing the career of his choice.

“Raju, who did brilliantly in his M.Sc (Maths), wanted to join civil services. However, his family made him take up teaching,” his friend Pawan Singh told reporters.

“Recently he had appeared in the NET (National Entrance Test) exams, but could not qualify. At present, he is pursuing B.Ed from an institute in Ghaziabad,” Singh added.