News Brief
From 2008-2021: The Complete Batla House Case Timeline So Far
- This is the same case wherein inspite of an inspector losing his life, the Congress had raised suspicions that the encounter in question was fake.
Protest rally against Batla House encounter, 24 October 2008, in New Delhi, by teachers and students of Jamia Millia Islamia University. (Wikimedia Commons)
Thirteen years after the Batla House encounter, a Delhi Court sentenced Indian Mujahideen terrorist Ariz Khan to death on 15 March.
The Additional Sessions Judge had said that Khan, along with his associates, intentionally and voluntarily caused the murder of Sharma by the use of gun shot.
The prosecution had sought death penalty for Khan in the case, while his counsel sought leniency on the ground of young age.
He has also been held guilty under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 174(a) (non-appearance in response to a proclamation) and 34 (criminal intention) of the IPC and Section 27 (using any prohibited weapons) of the Arms Act.
Here is the complete timeline of the Batla House Encounter Case from the beginning till now.
Delhi Serial Blasts: 13 September 2008
A series of 5 bomb blasts were carried out by the Indian Mujahideen (IM) in market places of New Delhi. The blasts were timed around 6 in the evening across Karol Bagh, Connaught Place and Greater Kailash.
While the five blasts had killed 30 people and injured 159 people, three live bombs were defused by the Delhi Police.
Batla House Encounter: 19 September, 2008
The Special Cell of Delhi Police carried out an encounter at L-18, Batla House, in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, in which inspector Mohan Chand Sharma lost his life and two IM terrorists – Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid were killed.
Out of the other three IM terrorists at the spot, Mohammad Saif was arrested, while Shahzad and Ariz Khan known as Junaid managed to escape.
On 26 January 2009, Republic Day, Mohan Chand Sharma was accorded the highest gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra for his bravery in fighting the terrorists in the operation.
Later Events in the Batla Encounter Case
On 2 February 2010, Shahzad Ahmad was arrested from Lucknow.
During this time, several questions were raised on the encounter carried out by the Delhi Police.
Politicians like Amar Singh, Digvijaya Singh, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Salman Khurshid and others questioned the encounter and called for a judicial inquiry the case.
In October 2010, the investigation of the case was transferred to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.
On 30 June 2013, Shahzad Ahmad was awarded life imprisonment by Saket Court at Delhi under the Sections 34, 174, 186, 302, 307 and 353 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) with a fine of rupees 95,000.
On 14 February 2018, IM terrorist Ariz Khan aka Junaid was arrested by the Delhi Police from Nepal.
Around 165 were killed and 535 people were injured in various bomb blasts in which he was involved.
On 8 March 2021, Ariz Khan was found guilty of killing inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in the Batla House encounter case.
On 15 March 2021, Ariz Khan was sentenced to death by Delhi Court under Sections 186, 333, 353, 302, 307, 174, and 34 of the IPC and Section 27 Arms Act. The Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav, called the case “a rarest of rare case” while awarding the death penalty.
