Batla House Encounter: Convict Ariz Khan Awarded Death Penalty

A Delhi Court on Monday awarded the death penalty to the 2008 Batla House encounter case convict Ariz Khan calling it the rarest of rare case.

Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav also slapped a fine of Rs 11 lakh against the convict and directed that out of the fine amount, Rs 10 lakh to be released to the family of deceased Mohan Chand Sharma as compensation.

Earlier on Monday, the Delhi Police urged the court to award the death penalty to convict Ariz Khan in the 2008 Batla House encounter case.

Representing Delhi Police, Public Prosecutor AT Ansari told the judge that it was a gruesome murder of law enforcement officer and defender of justice while discharging his duty and therefore a serious exercise is required to be undertaken in this case for determining the quantum of sentence.

Ansari said exemplary punishment in the case is required and urged Delhi Court to award the death sentence to convict Ariz Khan.

The prosecutor told the court that the convict was involved in several blast cases that occurred in Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Uttar Pradesh in which several innocent citizens were killed and there is a complete lack of remorselessness on the part of the convict, "which further completely rules out any kind of possibility of reformation and correction of the convict".

"This is again one of the aggravating circumstances against convict calling for a death penalty and forecloses the option of lesser punishment," the prosecutor said.

He said the collective conscience of society was shocked after the incident. It also instilled fear in the mind of the common man that when a police officer on lawful duty is not safe what would happen to them, he added.

Ansari said Inspector Sharma of Special Cell was martyred during the Batla House encounter.

Defence counsel MS Khan sought leniency on the ground of the convict's young age and parity with others convicted in the matter earlier.

Police had earlier claimed that Ariz Khan was present at Batla House, along with four others, and had managed to give police a slip during the encounter on September 19, 2008, in Delhi's Jamia Nagar, in which two Indian Mujahideen terrorists were killed and as many arrested.

Two suspected terrorists, Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid were killed while two other suspects — Mohammad Saif and Zeeshan were arrested earlier.

The incident took place a week after five serial blasts had hit Delhi on September 13 2008 in which at least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured.

A trial court in July 2013 had sentenced Indian Mujahideen terrorist Shahzad Ahmed to life imprisonment in connection with the Batla House encounter case. His appeal against the trial court's verdict is pending in the high court. (ANI)