HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE TO I.M. MAN IN 2008 BATLA CASE

The Delhi high court on Thursday commuted the death sentence given to Indian Mujahideen operative Ariz Khan in connection with the 2008 Batla House encounter case-in which decorated Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma was killed to life in prison. The court held that circumstances in the case were not sufficient for it to fall under the category of a "rarest of rare case".

- Shruti Kakkar

The gunfight in question took place on September 19, 2008 six days after a series of explosions in Delhi led to the death of 39 people, with more than 150 people injured. Inspector Sharma of the special cell got a specific tip-off about Indian Mujahideen terrorists involved in the blasts hiding in a flat at Batla House in Jamia Nagar.

After Sharma and his team arrived at the spot, an encounter broke out, and two terrorists Mohammad Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid-along with Sharma were killed.

On Thursday, a bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Amit Sharma was of the view that there was nothing on record to attribute the shot responsible for Sharma's death to a particular accused.

"But at the same time, it is pertinent to note that there is nothing on record to attribute the fatal shot responsible for the death of late inspector Mohan Chand Sharma to any particular accused... this court is conscious of the fact... the country lost a decorated police officer who sacrificed his life in the line of duty...