<p>Around five years after the controversial Batla House encounter, a city court on Thursday held suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) member Shahzad Ahmad guilty of killing Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and attempting to kill two other police personnel. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“He (Shahzad Ahmad) is found guilty of attempting to cause death of head constables Balwant Singh and Rajbir Singh and causing death of Inspector M C Sharma by firing on them,” said additional sessions judge Rajender Kumar Shastri. <br />Shastri also held Ahmad guilty of obstructing a public servant from executing his duties. The court will decide the quantum of the sentence on July 29. <br /><br />However, Shastri acquitted him of the offence under section 174A (failure to appear in specified time and place as required by a proclamation by court).<br /><br />“Whatsoever it may be, it did not give any licence to the occupants of a flat to fire on police personnel who came there to investigate a case. They were expected to assist the police and not attack them. The accused is thus convicted,” the judgment stated. <br /><br />While senior police officers and the wife of Mohan Chand Sharma welcomed the court’s decision, Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA) <br />expressed its disappointment. It will now move the high court.<br /><br />“We welcome the court’s decision. Our team’s morale was at stake,” said a senior police officer. <br /><br />Maya Sharma, wife of the slain police officer, said she felt “very relieved” after the court’s verdict “as it proved that the encounter was genuine.” <br /><br />“This issue was made political by saying that it was fake. Those who tried to divert the attention in this case kept saying that it was a fake encounter. After the court’s verdict, no one will say that it was a fake encounter,” she said. <br /><br />Huge disappointment<br /><br />However, Manisha Sethi of JTSA said: “It was a huge disappointment for us but is not the end of the struggle. We will approach the higher court for justice.” Seventy witnesses, including six eye-witnesses, were examined and circumstantial evidences verified.<br /><br />Ahmad, who was arrested in Khalispur village, Azamgarh, on February 1, 2010, was <br />accused of shooting at police officers, along with his associates Atif Ameen, Mohammad Sajid and Ariz Khan alias <br /><br />Junaid. The police on September 19, 2008, went to his residence at L-18, Batla House, in Jamia Nagar to arrest them.<br /><br />While Ahmad and Khan managed to flee, Ameen and Sajid were killed in the shootout. Mohammad Saif, who was also at the house, surrendered after the gun-battle. <br /><br />On September 19, six days after serial bomb blasts rocked Delhi, killing 26 persons and injuring 133, a special cell team led by Sharma received a tip-off that suspected IM members were hiding at L-18, Batla House. <br /><br />When he went there to arrest the suspects, occupants of the flat, including Ahmad, opened fire on the police. <br /><br />Sharma succumbed to bullet wounds sustained during the gun-battle while Balwant Singh was injured.<br /><br />Ariz Khan is absconding while Mohammad Saif is lodged at the Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad in connection with the 2008 Gujarat serial blasts.<br /><br />TIMELINE <br /><br /> September 19, 2008 An encounter takes place at Batla House in Jamia Nagar, leaving two ultras dead. Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma also killed. <br /><br /> September 20, 2008 Protests at Jamia Nagar over encounter <br /><br /> January 11, 2012 Digvijay calls encounter fake <br /><br /> January 12, 2012 Chidambaram says encounter genuine<br /><br /> February 11, 2012 Salman Khurshid says pictures of the Batla House <br />encounter moved Sonia Gandhi to tears</p>
<p>Around five years after the controversial Batla House encounter, a city court on Thursday held suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) member Shahzad Ahmad guilty of killing Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and attempting to kill two other police personnel. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“He (Shahzad Ahmad) is found guilty of attempting to cause death of head constables Balwant Singh and Rajbir Singh and causing death of Inspector M C Sharma by firing on them,” said additional sessions judge Rajender Kumar Shastri. <br />Shastri also held Ahmad guilty of obstructing a public servant from executing his duties. The court will decide the quantum of the sentence on July 29. <br /><br />However, Shastri acquitted him of the offence under section 174A (failure to appear in specified time and place as required by a proclamation by court).<br /><br />“Whatsoever it may be, it did not give any licence to the occupants of a flat to fire on police personnel who came there to investigate a case. They were expected to assist the police and not attack them. The accused is thus convicted,” the judgment stated. <br /><br />While senior police officers and the wife of Mohan Chand Sharma welcomed the court’s decision, Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA) <br />expressed its disappointment. It will now move the high court.<br /><br />“We welcome the court’s decision. Our team’s morale was at stake,” said a senior police officer. <br /><br />Maya Sharma, wife of the slain police officer, said she felt “very relieved” after the court’s verdict “as it proved that the encounter was genuine.” <br /><br />“This issue was made political by saying that it was fake. Those who tried to divert the attention in this case kept saying that it was a fake encounter. After the court’s verdict, no one will say that it was a fake encounter,” she said. <br /><br />Huge disappointment<br /><br />However, Manisha Sethi of JTSA said: “It was a huge disappointment for us but is not the end of the struggle. We will approach the higher court for justice.” Seventy witnesses, including six eye-witnesses, were examined and circumstantial evidences verified.<br /><br />Ahmad, who was arrested in Khalispur village, Azamgarh, on February 1, 2010, was <br />accused of shooting at police officers, along with his associates Atif Ameen, Mohammad Sajid and Ariz Khan alias <br /><br />Junaid. The police on September 19, 2008, went to his residence at L-18, Batla House, in Jamia Nagar to arrest them.<br /><br />While Ahmad and Khan managed to flee, Ameen and Sajid were killed in the shootout. Mohammad Saif, who was also at the house, surrendered after the gun-battle. <br /><br />On September 19, six days after serial bomb blasts rocked Delhi, killing 26 persons and injuring 133, a special cell team led by Sharma received a tip-off that suspected IM members were hiding at L-18, Batla House. <br /><br />When he went there to arrest the suspects, occupants of the flat, including Ahmad, opened fire on the police. <br /><br />Sharma succumbed to bullet wounds sustained during the gun-battle while Balwant Singh was injured.<br /><br />Ariz Khan is absconding while Mohammad Saif is lodged at the Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad in connection with the 2008 Gujarat serial blasts.<br /><br />TIMELINE <br /><br /> September 19, 2008 An encounter takes place at Batla House in Jamia Nagar, leaving two ultras dead. Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma also killed. <br /><br /> September 20, 2008 Protests at Jamia Nagar over encounter <br /><br /> January 11, 2012 Digvijay calls encounter fake <br /><br /> January 12, 2012 Chidambaram says encounter genuine<br /><br /> February 11, 2012 Salman Khurshid says pictures of the Batla House <br />encounter moved Sonia Gandhi to tears</p>