In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has upheld the conviction of Ariz Khan in connection with the 2008 Batla House encounter, during which Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma lost his life. While Khan’s conviction stands, the court has commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment, following a plea filed by Khan’s legal team.
A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Amit Sharma reviewed the case and decided to modify the previous verdict. The trial court had, in March 2021, categorized Khan’s offense as “rarest of rare,” leading to the imposition of the maximum penalty of capital punishment. Khan, through his legal representatives, advocates MS Khan and Qausar Khan, subsequently challenged this decision in the high court in July 2021.
The Batla House encounter unfolded on September 19, 2008, in the Okhla area of New Delhi. During the operation, Inspector Sharma, a dedicated member of the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, lost his life in the line of duty. The encounter took place just six days after a series of devastating serial blasts shook the national capital, claiming the lives of at least 30 people and leaving over 100 others injured.
Acting on intelligence provided by an informer, the police team, led by Inspector Sharma, conducted a raid on a flat in the Batla House locality. The encounter, which ensued, resulted in the escape of Khan, Shahzad Ahmed, and Junaid, while two suspected terrorists, Atif Amin and Mohammed Sajid, were killed in the shootout. A third suspected Indian Mujahideen operative, Mohd Saif, surrendered to the authorities.
Ariz Khan, a 37-year-old native of Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh, had eluded capture until his arrest on February 14, 2018. The trial court’s verdict on March 8, 2021, led to his sentencing to death on March 15, which was accompanied by a significant fine of ₹11 lakh, with ₹10 lakh earmarked for the deceased officer’s family.
Describing Khan’s crime as “despicable,” the court noted that he had “forfeited his right to live” and labeled him an “enemy of the state.”
Shahzad Ahmed, another convict in the Batla House case, was apprehended on January 1, 2010. In July 2013, Ahmed was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. He subsequently appealed this decision, a matter that remains pending in court. Tragically, Shahzad Ahmed passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in January of this year after being admitted for over two weeks.
The Batla House encounter remains a significant event in Indian history, with connections to the 2008 serial blasts that ravaged Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. These coordinated bombings resulted in the loss of 165 lives and the injury of 500 people. The verdict on Ariz Khan, while reducing his sentence, underscores the ongoing legal processes and discussions surrounding the case.
Sources By Agencies