(Image source from: IM Operative Shahzad convicted in Batla House encounter})

After five long years of wait, the Delhi session court finally convicted the Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, Shahzad Ahmed, the prime accused in Batla House encounter case (2008).

The terrorist has been indicted with the murder of  Delhi police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma as well as abusing public servants and seriously injuring the police officers to  stop them from doing their duty, the court said.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri reading out the verdict, said, “He (Shahzad) is held guilty of causing [the] death of Inspector M.C. Sharma and attempting to cause [the] death of Head Constables Balwant Singh and Rajbir Singh by firing [at] them. He is also found guilty of assaulting police officers and obstructing them from doing their duty,”

The court will dole out the sentence on Monday (July 29, 2013).

The Batla House encounter took place  in the Batla House area of Jamia Nagar on September 19, 2008.
The special squad of Delhi Police Special Cell got into fray with suspected IM members (accused of the 2008 Delhi serial blasts) after they swooped into flat no 108 at L-18 of Batla House after reportedly getting an inside wire.

Inspector M.C. Sharma, who was heading the operation, was shot dead in the encounter along with two suspected terrorists — Atif Ahmed and Mohammad Sajjid.

Police provided ample circumstantial evidence including prime accused's expired passport acquired from the flat to prove his presence in the flat during the encounter. Not only that, the Delhi police also provided enough proof to establish that Shahzad fired two rounds at the police party as he fled, leading to the death of Inspector Sharma.

AW: Suchorita Dutta