Batla House Encounter: Court Sentences Ariz Khan to Death for Killing Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma

A Delhi court Monday sentenced Indian Mujahideen terrorist Ariz Khan to death for killing inspector Mohan Chand Sharma of the Delhi Police Special Cell.

The court had convicted Khan on March 8.

The encounter between Delhi Police and Indian Mujahideen terrorists had taken place on September 19, 2008 in Delhi’s Batla House. It followed a week after serial blasts in Delhi which killed more than 25 people.

Sharma was martyred after getting hit by a bullet.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power at the centre at that time.

Many senior leaders of the Congress party shamelessly declared the encounter as fake. Digvijay Singh, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and a very powerful general secretary of the Congress party, had raised doubts over the martyrdom of Sharma.

In an attempt to woo the Muslim voters, Union minister at the time Salman Khurshid had said the images of the Batla House encounter had brought tears to Sonia Gandhi’s eyes, the Congress president at the time.

Sharma was awarded the highest gallantry award, Ashoka Chakra, in 2009.

Khan had fled the encounter site in 2008. He was arrested from Nepal in February 2018.