Digvijay Singh demands probe into Batla House encounter

Lucknow, Feb 4 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who is on a visit to Azamgarh, has questioned the Batla House encounter that took place in Delhi last year after meeting families of alleged Indian Mujahideen operatives at Sanjarpur.

Singh said he had earlier raised suspicions about the encounter, and had acquainted Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on his doubts.

"Batla house encounter is being discussed again and again. We are sad with the incident in which two youths and a policeman were killed," Singh said.

Singh's visit to Azamgarh has kicked off a controversy after Uttar Pradesh's anti-terror squad (ATS) on Monday evening arrested Shehzad Ahmad alias Pappu, a key accused in the September 2008 Delhi serial blasts and the Batla House encounter.

This was the third arrest made from the area.

The Ulema Council of clerics had earlier called the visit an eyewash and announced that Singh would not be allowed to meet the families of those accused in terror attacks.

Doubting the Congress leader's intent, the Ulema Council declared that it would do its best to stop Singh.

Singh was shown black flags by Ulema Council members as he arrived to soothe the families whose wards have been arrested in the last two years in connection with terror-related incidents. (ANI)