Convicted terrorist Ariz Khan, convicted of murdering Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma during the Batla House encounter, has been awarded the death penalty by a Delhi Court. The same court has pronounced Ariz Khan guilty on March 8, asserting that the prosecution has successfully proved the case.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1371433106524151808?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe Batla House encounter had taken place in 2008. It is a locality in Delhi’s Dalmia Nagar. An encounter had taken place between Delhi Police and Indian Mujahideen terrorists on September 19, 2008. Delhi Police had received intel that Indian Mujahideen terrorists, linked with the Delhi serial blasts a week prior that had killed over 30 people, were hiding at a residence in Batla House.
Two terrorists named Atif Amin and Mohammad Sajid were killed in the encounter while 3, including Ariz had escaped. Inspector MC Sharma was martyred. Ariz was arrested near the Nepal border in 2018. Another terrorist Shahzad is facing life imprisonment for the case. Junaid, another terrorist who had escaped, is still at large.
Batla House encounter was vehemently opposed by Congress leaders, who were then in power in the UPA government. It was also claimed that Sonia Gandhi had wept a lot at the death of the terrorists whom the Congress called innocents. Many so-called ‘secular’ leaders had termed these encounters as fake and had blamed the Delhi Police for hurting Muslims.