Batla House encounter: Death penalty for Ariz Khan, convicted of murder of Delhi Police inspector
Arif Khan, convicted of the murder of a Delhi Police inspector, has been given the death penalty. Earlier on Monday, a Delhi court had reserved its order on the quantum of sentence for Ariz Khan, who was allegedly associated with terror outfit Indian Mujahideen.
The encounter had taken place within a week of 2008 Delhi serial blasts that had killed 30 people. Blasts had taken place at Karol Bagh, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash and India Gate. The Delhi police received intel about terrorists hiding at L-18 Batla House. A police team carried out the raid when encounter took place.
Two suspected terrorists, identified as Atif Amin and Mohammed Sajid, were killed in the Batla House encounter.
Delhi Police’s inspector Mohan Chand Sharma received gun shot during the encounter and died. Three suspected operatives identified as Ariz Khan, Shahzad and Junaid escaped. One IM operative Mohammad Saif surrendered to the police.
Years later in 2018, Ariz Khan was arrested from Banbasa at India-Nepal border. The third terrorist to escape Junaid was declared a proclaimed offender.
The Delhi police filed another chargesheet in February 2011 against Shahzad. He was convicted of the murder of Mohan Chand Sharma and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 by the trial court.
Earlier this month, a Delhi court held Ariz Khan guilty in the Batla House encounter case for the murder of Inspector Sharma. Police also suspected Ariz Khan to be the mastermind of the 2008 Delhi serial blasts
The BJP and the Congress traded charges. The BJP was in the Opposition back then and the Congress headed the UPA government at the Centre in 2008. The BJP accused the Congress of going soft on terror to appease the minority community.
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid had triggered a political row when he said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi cried after watching the images of the encounter. The BJP sharpened its attack on the party thereafter.
Digvijaya Singh, another senior Congress leader, had termed the Batla House encounter as “fake”. Then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram strongly refuted the claim calling it a genuine encounter between the Delhi police and the hiding terrorists.
Digvijaya Singh had visited Azamgarh to meet the family members of those arrested in connection with the Batla House encounter case. While the BJP used Digvijaya Singh’s visit to homes of terror-accused person to attack the Congress, the latter left it to the veteran leader to explain his remarks and Azamgarh meetings.
Arif Khan, convicted of the murder of a Delhi Police inspector, has been given the death penalty. Earlier on Monday, a Delhi court had reserved its order on the quantum of sentence for Ariz Khan, who was allegedly associated with terror outfit Indian Mujahideen.
Batla House encounter
Batla House is a locality in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar, where an encounter between the Delhi police and alleged terrorists took place on September 19, 2008. The terrorists were suspected to be the members of terror outfit, Indian Mujahideen.The encounter had taken place within a week of 2008 Delhi serial blasts that had killed 30 people. Blasts had taken place at Karol Bagh, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash and India Gate. The Delhi police received intel about terrorists hiding at L-18 Batla House. A police team carried out the raid when encounter took place.
Two suspected terrorists, identified as Atif Amin and Mohammed Sajid, were killed in the Batla House encounter.
Delhi Police’s inspector Mohan Chand Sharma received gun shot during the encounter and died. Three suspected operatives identified as Ariz Khan, Shahzad and Junaid escaped. One IM operative Mohammad Saif surrendered to the police.
Batla House: Probe and conviction
Police launched a manhunt for the escaped terrorists. In January 2010, Shahzad was arrested from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Three months later in April 2010, the police filed a chargesheet saying encounter took place as the Delhi police followed the lead in the serial blasts case.Years later in 2018, Ariz Khan was arrested from Banbasa at India-Nepal border. The third terrorist to escape Junaid was declared a proclaimed offender.
The Delhi police filed another chargesheet in February 2011 against Shahzad. He was convicted of the murder of Mohan Chand Sharma and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 by the trial court.
Earlier this month, a Delhi court held Ariz Khan guilty in the Batla House encounter case for the murder of Inspector Sharma. Police also suspected Ariz Khan to be the mastermind of the 2008 Delhi serial blasts
Politics over Batla House encounter
The Batla House encounter was one of the terror related cases that stirrup up huge political storm particularly during 2009 Lok Sabha election. It divided public opinion sharply as politicians kept making controversial remarks.The BJP and the Congress traded charges. The BJP was in the Opposition back then and the Congress headed the UPA government at the Centre in 2008. The BJP accused the Congress of going soft on terror to appease the minority community.
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid had triggered a political row when he said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi cried after watching the images of the encounter. The BJP sharpened its attack on the party thereafter.
Digvijaya Singh, another senior Congress leader, had termed the Batla House encounter as “fake”. Then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram strongly refuted the claim calling it a genuine encounter between the Delhi police and the hiding terrorists.
Digvijaya Singh had visited Azamgarh to meet the family members of those arrested in connection with the Batla House encounter case. While the BJP used Digvijaya Singh’s visit to homes of terror-accused person to attack the Congress, the latter left it to the veteran leader to explain his remarks and Azamgarh meetings.
