A Delhi court on Monday awarded death penalty to Ariz Khan, convicted for the murder of police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and other offences in connection with the 2008 Batla House encounter. The court called the case as “rarest of rare case” while pronouncing the judgement.
Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav also imposed a total fine of Rs 11 lakh against Ariz in the case. The court said Rs 10 lakh should be immediately released to the family members of Sharma.
Police had sought death penalty for Khan, allegedly associated with the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, saying it was not just any killing but a murder of a law enforcement officer who was a defender of justice.
Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav had reserved the order for 4 pm. Additional Public Prosecutor A T Ansari, appearing for the police, said the case attracts exemplary punishment, which is capital punishment.
Khan’s counsel had opposed the death penalty and said the incident was not premeditated. The court had said on March 8 that it was “duly proved that Ariz Khan and his associates caused murder of police official and fired gunshot on the police official”.
Inspector Sharma of the police’s special cell was killed during the 2008 Batla House encounter in Jamia Nagar in south Delhi. A trial court had sentenced Indian Mujahideen terrorist Shahzad Ahmed in July 2013 to life imprisonment in connection with the case. His appeal against the verdict has been pending in Delhi High Court.
Ariz Khan had fled from the spot and was declared proclaimed offender. He was arrested on February 14, 2018, and faced the trial.
(with inputs from PTI)
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