Batla House Encounter: Shahzad Ahmed gets life term

New Delhi, July 30: Shahzad Ahmed sentenced to life imprisonment by Delhi court for murder and other offences in Batla House encounter case.

Shahzad has also been fined Rs 95,000 of which Rs 40,000 would be paid to family of slain inspector M C Sharma and Rs 20,000 to injured cop Balwant.

A Delhi court today awarded life sentence to Shahzad Ahmed, convicted last week in the controversial 2008 Batla house encounter case.

Shahzad was the only man arrested in the case, who was found guilty of murdering inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who led a Delhi Police team that stormed an apartment building in Batla House in Delhi's Jamia Nagar on September 19, 2008.

The judge said he had not been given evidence to prove that Shahzad Ahmed is a terrorist, but he also said that his focus was on the killing of the police officer. "For the purpose of decision of this case it hardly matters as to whether accused was affiliated to Indian Mujahideen or not," he said.

P Chidambaram, who was Home Minister at the time of the controversy, said the verdict proves that the encounter was genuine. "I am happy that the Delhi Police was able to prove its case," he said.

The cops later alleged that terrorists from the Indian Mujahideen were holed up there.

Shahzad Ahmed has denied any association with the Indian Mujahideen and claims that he was not in the apartment where the alleged terrorists were located. His lawyers are expected to appeal against his conviction.

OneIndia News