A Delhi court on Monday sentenced Ariz Khan to death, who was convicted last week of the murder of Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in the case of the 2008 Batla House encounter. The encounter took place in September 2008 between the Delhi Police Special Cell and Indian Mujahideen officers at Batla House in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar. days after a serial explosion rocked the national capital, in which at least 26 people were killed and 133 injured. On Monday, the court held that it was the rarest of the rare cases.
The meeting
Five bombs exploded on September 13, 2008 in Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Greater Kailash and India Gate, leading to the registration of five cases. The Indian mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the explosions. A team was created under the supervision of Inspector Sharma to investigate the case and trace the perpetrators. The meeting took place on September 19 after the police received information about the presence of suspects in a Batla House apartment. The police had raided the apartment to track down and search for a user of a mobile phone number.
When the police tried to enter the apartment, a shooting ensued, injuring Inspector Sharma and Police Chief Balwant Singh.
IM agents Mohd Atif Ameen and Mohd Sajid, who were injured during the shooting, were later pronounced dead at AIIMS hospital. Inspector Sharma also succumbed to the injuries. Shahzad Ahmad and Ariz Khan allegedly escaped from the scene. Mohd Saif surrendered to the police.
The proof
The police, upon completion of the investigation, had filed a charge sheet against Mohd Atif Ameen and Mohd Sajid (both of whom had died in the encounter) Ariz Khan and Shahzad Ahmad. Mohd Saif, who was one of the occupants of the flat, was not offended.
Shahzad was arrested in 2010 by ATS Lucknow and allegedly made a disclosure statement. He was arrested at his grandfather’s home in Azamgarh. He was convicted in 2013 by the Saket Court.
📣 JOIN NOW 📣: The Telegram channel Explained Express
When was Ariz Khan arrested?
Khan had been on the run for a decade before being arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in 2018. Khan, according to police, was arrested on the information of Abdul Subhan Qureshi, the alleged mastermind behind the Ahmedabad serial explosions. 2008. from Uttarakhand. Last week, the court held that he was a “trained criminal” and not “an ordinary individual.” The police had previously announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information about him. He was also on the radar of the National Investigative Agency (NIA), which had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh.
Khan also faces six other cases in Delhi where the trial is still pending. During the trial, Khan told the court last month that he has nothing to say other than what his lawyer has argued. He also alleged that he has been falsely implicated in the case. The prosecution prayed Monday for his death sentence.
.
