Batla House encounter:Death penalty for convict Ariz Khan

A Delhi court awards death penalty to convict Ariz Khan in 2008 Batla House encounter case. 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 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. Besides handing Khan the death penalty, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 11 lakh on him, directing that of this, Rs10 lakh be immediately released to deceased inspector Sharma's family.

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.

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. Digvijaya Singh,  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.