Batla House encounter case: RTI activist questions court's guilty verdict(Update/Batla House Encounter Case)

A Right To Information (RTI) activist today questioned a Delhi sessions court's verdict to convict lone suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Shahzad Ahmad on charges of murder and other offences in the 2008 Batla House encounter case.

Afroz Alam Sahil said that while the sessions court has delivered its verdict, there were still ways open to counter the decision as per the law of the land.

Admitting that he had yet to go through the verdict in detail to make a proper assessment of its impact on the families affected, Sahil said: "This is a decision of the sessions court. There are still ways open yet. I have no knowledge of the court's detailed verdict. I am not talking about the cases against Atif and Sajid. I am talking about (late inspector) M.C.Sharma. His lawyer has said that they will be appealing to the Delhi High Court. A question has been raised as to whether Shahzad was there or not?"

Sahil's reaction came soon after Shahzad was held guilty for murdering police inspector M C Sharma and assaulting other police officers.

The police alleges that Shahzad is an Indian Mujahideen operative, and one of four men responsible for serial blasts in Delhi in 2008.

The shootout between the special cell team and the alleged IM terrorists in Batla House locality in Jamia Nagar, Delhi, took place six days after serial blasts hit the national capital on September 13, 2008, leaving 30 dead and over 100 injured.

Acting on a tip-off regarding some terrorists involved in the blasts, the police team led by Inspector Sharma went to Batla House on September 19. Sharma was killed during the incident.