Civil society group to help Batla House case convict

A civil society group comprising Jamia Millia Islamia teachers Thursday expressed shock over the conviction of lone accused Shahzad Ahmad in the Batla House shootout case and vowed to seek justice for him in a higher court.

"It was a huge disappointment for us. We will definitely approach the higher court for justice," said Manisha Sethi, president of Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA).

A Delhi court convicted Ahmad, from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, for killing Delhi Police Special Cell Inspector M.C. Sharma, who had led a police team that raided a flat in Batla House neighbourhood, close to the university, where the shootout took place Sep 19, 2008.

Sethi said they fought for five years to reveal the real face of Delhi Police who staged the shootout and arrested the innocent people.

"The prosecution has failed to explain the theory of Delhi Police. I really wonder how such the decision took place," she said.

Defence lawyer S. Qamar said: "Since we did not receive a copy of the court's judgment, wWe will look at the order and challenge the decision."

JTSA, a civil society group, ran a campaign claiming that the shootout was fake and the arrests of Shahzad and other suspects for it were wrong.

In October 2012, JTSA brought out a report, 'Framed, Damned, Acquitted' documenting 16 cases where trials of terror accused resulted in acquittals for lack of evidence.

JTSA also questioned the alleged discrepancies in the police version on the Batla House shootout through a report "Encounter' at Batla House: Unanswered Questions".