Batla House encounter: BJP seeks apology from opposition after court gives death penalty to Ariz Khan

New Delhi, Mar 15: Asserting that the court verdict in the 2008 Batla House encounter case has thoroughly exposed "terrorist sympathizers" and "doubters lobby", the BJP on Monday sought an apology from opposition leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal for raising questions on the Delhi Police's integrity in the matter.

A Delhi court on Monday awarded death penalty to Ariz Khan for the murder of decorated Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in connection with the sensational case, saying the offence fell under the "rarest of the rare category" warranting the maximum sentence.

"The Delhi court's verdict today in the Batla House encounter case thoroughly exposes the terrorist sympathisers and doubters lobby in the country. Now Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal who raised questions on the integrity of our police forces must apologise to the nation," BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said.

Several opposition leaders had raised questions over the encounter as a huge row erupted with some groups alleging that it was a staged gunfight. After the encounter on September 19, 2008, protest rallies were organised against it by teachers and students of Jamia Millia Islamia University.

A day after Khan's conviction on March 8, BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said at a press conference, "There was a conscious, deliberate and consistent attempt to cast serious doubt on the authenticity of the Batla House encounter to weaken the morale of Delhi Police and give clear support to terrorists and their design. Why? For pure vote bank politics."

Inspector Sharma of the police's special cell was killed during the encounter between the police and alleged terrorists in Jamia Nagar in south Delhi following serial bomb blasts in the national capital in which 39 people died and 159 were injured.

Two terrorists were killed while two others fled. Khan had fled from the spot and was declared proclaimed offender. He was arrested on February 14, 2018, and faced the trial.