Batla House encounter case

Last updated

Batla House encounter case
Type Police encounter
Location
Flat no. L-18 (Batla House), Okhla, Delhi, India
Planned by Delhi Police
TargetTerrorist outfit 'Indian Mujahideen' (IM)
Date19 September 2008
Executed bySpecial Cell, Delhi Police
OutcomeDeath of two terrorists and arrest of various others
Casualties3 (1 Police Inspector and 2 terrorists) killed

The Batla House encounter case was an armed Delhi Police operation to arrest terrorists of the terrorist outfit called 'Indian Mujahideen' (IM), hiding in a flat in the Batla House area of Jamia Nagar, Okhla, on 19 September 2008. The operation resulted in the deaths of two terrorists and one police officer, Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, with the remaining terrorists arrested. On 15 March 2021, one of the arrested Ariz Khan alias Junaid, was sentenced to death for the murder of Inspector Sharma.

Contents

Background

The incident took place a week after five serial blasts on 13 September 2008 that hit Delhi in which at least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured. [1] [2] The killing of Atif Amin, who was the chief bomber of the terrorist outfit 'Indian Mujahideen', had dealt a severe blow to the group, which earlier been blamed for terror attacks between 2007 and 2009, in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Surat and Faizabad, according to investigating agencies. On the second anniversary of the encounter, a shooting took place at the gates of historic Jama Masjid, Delhi, in which two foreign tourists were injured, apart from that a car bomb with the failed timer was also found in the vicinity. [3] [4] The police had filed the chargesheet against Shahzad, Ariz Khan, Atif Ameen, and Mohammed Sajid on 28 April 2010, accusing them of killing Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma on 19 September 2008. On 15 February 2011, Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar framed charges against accused Shahzad Ahmed alias Pappu for the offenses of murder (Section 302), attempt to murder (Section 307), section 333 (causing hurt to public servant), 353 (assault to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of his public functions) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, besides section 27 of the Arms Act for his role in the 'encounter'. [5]

The encounter

The encounter took place after a seven-member Delhi Police team led by Mohan Chand Sharma, an Inspector in the Special Cell of Delhi Police, stumbled upon IM commander Atif Amin and his companions in their rented address at flat no. L-18, Batla House in the morning of 19 September 2008. Then, DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav also played a vital role in this encounter. [6] The team had received specific information that a suspected person wanted in connection with the serial bomb blasts in Delhi was hiding in a flat in Batla House of Jamia Nagar.

Upon reaching the four-storied house the police's attempt to storm the flat on the second floor at around 10:30  AM (IST) led to a heavy exchange of fire. Sharma received the first burst of fire from the terrorists holed up inside. After the ensuing exchange of fire two terrorists, Atif Amin and Mohammad Sajid were killed, two other Mohammad Saif and Zeeshan were arrested, while one managed to escape. [7] [8] Also two Delhi police personnel were injured, among which, Sharma who led the operation, later succumbed to the injuries. Later, the intelligence team said that the arrested had links with Dubai and further questioned if they had any link with Dawood Ibrahim. [9]

Aftermath

Protest rally against Batla House Encounter on 24 October 2008 at Delhi, by teachers and students of Jamia Millia Islamia University Protest rally against Batla House encounter, 24 October, 2008, Delhi.jpg
Protest rally against Batla House Encounter on 24 October 2008 at Delhi, by teachers and students of Jamia Millia Islamia University

After the incident accusations were raised against the Police by various other politicians, media, and civil society outfits for carrying out an encounter. [10] [11] Upon the plea filed by an NGO, "Act Now For Harmony and Democracy", the Delhi High Court on 21 May 2009 asked the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to enquire into the police version of the encounter, and submit its report incomplete within two months. Subsequently, on 22 July, NHRC after its investigations, in a 30-page report submitted its report which gave a clean chit to Delhi Police in the case. [12] The inquiry ruled out the conspiracy theory suggests that it was "inter-departmental rivalry" which might have led to the death of Inspector M. C. Sharma based on postmortem report that he had a gunshot wound on the "hypochondriac region of the abdomen", which ruled out an attack from behind. In August 2009, the Delhi high court accepted the findings of NHRC and declined to institute a judicial probe. [13]

Sharma was a much-decorated police officer and had won seven gallantry medals including the President of India's Medal in 2009. He was posthumously awarded India's highest peacetime military decoration the Ashoka Chakra on 26 January 2009. [14]

Shahzad's sister said that her brother was falsely implicated, and vowed to fight for justice by appealing to the supreme court. [15]

Demands for an inquiry

Several political organizations like Rashtriya Ulama Council which brought a full train of protestors from Azamgarh to Jantar Mantar, Delhi demanding an independent Judicial Enquiry whereas the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) demanded a judicial inquiry into the encounter, in the Parliament, as "new versions" of the encounter, started appearing in the newspapers. [16] [17] Subsequently, on the Delhi High Court's directive on 21 May 2009, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its 22 July report cleared the police of any violations of rights. [18] Public speculations and debate however continued. [19]

Trials

The case was referred to T D Dogra of AIIMS New Delhi for expert opinion, subsequently he appeared in court of law as an expert witness, he had explained the event through animation. [20] On 25 Jul 2013, the Saket sessions court in its judgement convicted one of the suspects, Shahzad Ahmad, for murder of police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and attempted murder of Head Constables Balwant Singh and Rajbir Singh. The court also found Ahmad guilty of obstructing and assaulting public servants, and grievously injuring the police officers to deter them from performing their duty. [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]

After the verdict, Shahzad's defense counsel Satish Tamta accused that the court had proposed its theory while concluding that Shahzad had escaped after shooting at police officers. [26] And the court concluded 70 witnesses, including six eyewitnesses of the raiding team of the Delhi police special cell. [27] On 28 August 2013, Yasin Bhatkal, the Chief of terrorist outfit 'Indian Mujahideen' was arrested from India-Nepal Border. Yasin had allegedly fled the Batla House, minutes before the encounter took place.

A local court in 2021, convicted the IM terrorist Ariz Khan in the case of the Batla House shootout which he had escaped earlier.

Jama Masjid shooting

On 19 September 2010, the second anniversary of the encounter, two gunmen on a motorcycle fired at a foreign tourist bus near Gate 3 of the historic Jama Masjid in Delhi and injured two Taiwanese tourists. Subsequently, police investigations revealed that one of the timers of the cooker bomb planted in a car was timed at exactly 11.37  am the time when the Batla encounter had taken place. The e-mail, sent to the BBC and Mumbai ATS, claiming responsibility for the attack mentions two terrorists as Shaheed or martyrs. [28] The attack gains significance from the fact that it took place on the second anniversary of the Batla House encounter in which Atif Amin, the chief bomber of the IM was killed, this had dealt a severe blow to the group, which earlier been blamed for terror attacks between 2007 and 2009, in Delhi, Ahmadabad, Jaipur Surat, and Faizabad, according to investigating agencies, the blast announced the revival of the group, in an email to the media, intending to avenge the killed terrorists. [3] [4]

2010 Varanasi bombing

Mumbai Police investigations after the 2010 Varanasi bombing, indicated that Pakistan-based Bhatkal brothers, Riyaz and Iqbal, the chiefs of the terrorist outfit 'Indian Mujahideen' (IM) being the brains behind the explosion, which was carried out by Shahnawaz presently based both in Dubai and Pakistan. He is the brother of IM Root terrorist Mohammed Saif, who was arrested in the Batla House encounter. Shahnawaz along with Khalid, Abu Rashid, and Bada Sajid or Mohammed Sajid had fled to Nepal after the encounter. Shahnawaz was formerly a physician in a Lucknow Hospital and all four now hold Nepalese passports. [29] [30]

In April 2017, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch stated that Bada Sajid was killed while fighting for ISIS in Syria. [31]

Conviction of Ariz Khan

A Delhi Court on Monday, 15 March 2021, awarded the death penalty to convict Ariz Khan alias Junaid in the matter relating to the Batla House encounter of 2008. [32] Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav awarded the death sentence after observing it to be a rarest of the rare case. The Court also imposed a fine of Rs. 11 lakh on the convict, out of which Rs. 10 lakhs are directed to be given to the family of deceased Inspector MC Sharma.

The 2019 action thriller film Batla House starring John Abraham played the role of DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav directed by Nikkhil Advani is based on the incident. [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Students' Islamic Movement of India is a banned terrorist organisation that was formed in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh in April 1977. The stated mission of SIMI is the "liberation of India" by converting it to an Islamic land, or Dār al-'Islām. The SIMI, an organisation of extremists has declared Jihad against India, the aim of which is to establish Dār al-'Islām by converting everyone to Islam.

An encounter killing, often simply called an encounter, is an extrajudicial killing by police or the armed forces in South Asia, supposedly in self-defence when they encounter suspected gangsters or terrorists. The officers typically described the incidents as a shootout situation, often allegedly starting when a criminal grabs for the gun of a police officer. The term encounter came into widespread use for such incidents in the late 20th century.

Indian Mujahideen (IM) is an Islamist terrorist group which has been particularly active in India. The jihadist group was founded as an offshoot of the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) by several radicalized members including Iqbal Bhatkal, Riyaz Bhatkal, Yasin Bhatkal, Abdul Subhan Qureshi, Amir Reza Khan and Sadiq Israr Sheikh, among others. It has been active since at least 2005 when it bombed the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi. It carried out several serial-bombings in Indian cities in the following years notably the 2007 Uttar Pradesh bombings, 2008 Jaipur bombings, 2008 Ahmedabad bombings, 2008 Delhi bombings, 2010 Pune bombing, 2011 Mumbai bombings, 2011 Delhi bombing, 2013 Patna bombings, 2013 Hyderabad blasts and the 2013 Bodh Gaya bombings.

The 13 September 2008 Delhi bombings were a series of five synchronised bomb blasts that took place within the span of a few minutes on Saturday, 13 September 2008 at various locations in Delhi, India. The first bomb exploded at 18:07 IST, and four other blasts followed in succession, with at least 20 people killed and over 90 injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohan Chand Sharma</span> Indian police officer (1965–2008)

Mohan Chand Sharma AC was an Indian police officer who was martyred during the 2008 Batla House encounter in New Delhi. He was posthumously awarded the Gallantry medal Ashoka Chakra Award, India's highest peacetime military decoration, on 26 January 2009.

During and immediately after the 2008 Mumbai attacks the news media worldwide broadcast incorrect factual information on a scale often seen in a fog of war. Erroneous reporting on the 2008 Mumbai attacks included false information concerning the number of attackers, their nationality, their organizational affiliations, origins, and the methods of transport they had used. Theories and speculations were openly aired by various commentators that were later proved to be wrong. Many such speculations, such as the involvement in the attacks of the "Deccan Mujahideen", were widely reported by media worldwide. Various news outlets carried opinion pieces and unattributed theories about the origins of the attackers which were unfounded.

The 2010 Pune bombing, also known as 13/7 and the German bakery blast, occurred on 13 February 2010 at approximately 19:15 Indian Standard Time, when a bomb exploded at a German bakery in the Indian city of Pune, Maharashtra. The blast killed 18 people, and injured at least 60 more, including an Italian woman, two Sudanese students and an Iranian student.

The 2010 Jama Masjid attack occurred on 19 September 2010 when two gunmen on a motorcycle fired at a tourist bus near Gate 3 of the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, India and injured two Taiwanese tourists. The incident provoked fears about security for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi. About three hours later a car parked approximately 150 meters from the spot caught fire, apparently due to a minor blast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Varanasi bombing</span> Terrorist bombing attack in Varanasi, India

The 2010 Varanasi bombing was a blast that occurred on 7 December 2010, in one of the holiest Hindu cities, Varanasi. The explosion occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the sunset aarti, the evening prayer ritual to the holy river, Ganges had commenced, on these stone steps leading to it, where thousands of worshipers and tourists had gathered. It killed a two-year-old girl, sitting on her mother's lap, the mother was one of three critically injured, more than 38 other people were injured. In the ensuing panic after the blast, a railing broke causing a stampede leading to an increase in the number of injuries. The bomb was hidden inside a milk container on the Sheetla Ghat. The blast occurred a day after the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, in which a mosque was demolished at Ayodhya leading to nationwide religious riots killing over 2,000 people. Subsequently, the Islamist militant group, Indian Mujahideen, claimed responsibility of the blast, via email to Indian media. This is also the second terrorism-related incident in the city which was rocked by the serial blasts of 2006, in which 28 people were killed, it included an explosion at the Sankatmochan Temple, some two kilometres away.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Mumbai bombings</span> Coordinated terrorist attacks in India

The 2011 Mumbai bombings, also known as 13/7, were a series of three coordinated bomb explosions at different locations in Mumbai, India, on 13 July 2011 between 18:54 and 19:06 IST. The blasts occurred at the Opera House, at Zaveri Bazaar and at Dadar West localities, leaving 26 killed and 130 injured. Indian Mujahideen is believed to have carried out the attack with the personal involvement of its co-founder Yasin Bhatkal.

The 2011 Delhi bombing took place in the Indian capital Delhi on Wednesday, 7 September 2011 at 10:14 local time outside Gate No. 5 of the Delhi High Court, where a suspected briefcase bomb was planted. The blast killed 15 people and injured 79. Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami claimed responsibility for the attack, and is believed to have carried out the attack with support from the Indian Mujahideen, it stated motive was the commuting of the death sentence for 2001 Indian Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Shah Riyaz Ahmad Mohammed Ismail Shahbandari, known as Riyaz Bhatkal, is the co-founder, leader and a wanted terrorist of Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist group based in India. Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri is one of the Indian Mujahideen's three top commanders and is currently based in Karachi, Pakistan along with his brother Iqbal Bhatkal.

Iqbal Shahbandri, known as Iqbal Bhatkal, is the co-founder, ideologue, leader and wanted terrorist of the Indian Mujahideen, an Islamist terrorist group based in India. He is the brother of another IM co-founder Riyaz Bhatkal, and is one of the Indian Mujahideen's three top commanders. Both him and his brother are currently based in Karachi, Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Pune bombings</span> Terrorist attacks

The 2012 Pune bombings was a series of four coordinated low-intensity bombing attacks that occurred on 1 August 2012 across Pune, the ninth-largest metropolis in India. As of October 2012, Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist group based in India, is suspected to be behind the attacks.

Syed Mohammed Ahmed Zarar Siddibappa, known as Yasin Bhatkal, is a convicted Indian Islamist terrorist, who was the co-founder and leader of the proscribed terrorist organisation Indian Mujahideen (IM). Yasin along with Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, among others, founded the terrorist organisation around 2005. The jihadist group has carried out several attacks against civilian targets in India and Yasin was notably personally involved in the 2010 Pune bombing, 2010 Bangalore stadium bombing, 2011 Mumbai bombings, 2012 Pune bombings and the 2013 Hyderabad blasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirath Das Dogra</span> Indian forensic pathologist

Tirath Das Dogra is an Indian forensic pathologist. He was the pro-chancellor and vice-chancellor of SGT University, Budhera Gurgaon Haryana (2013–2017).

Mohammed Shafi Armar (1989/1991–2015), also known by his online pseudonym Yusuf al-Hindi, was an Indian Islamic militant, a former member of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), he became the chief of operations for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in India. He and his brother Sultan Armar founded the ISIS affiliates Ansar-ut Tawhid fi Bilad al-Hind and Janood-ul-Khalifa-e-Hind encouraging the recruitment of Indian Muslims for jihad in Syria and Afghanistan. The Armar brothers had split from Indian Mujahideen and formed these affiliates after a rift developed between them and IM co-founders Iqbal and Riyaz Bhatkal.

<i>Batla House</i> 2019 Indian film directed by Nikkhil Advani

Batla House is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written by Ritesh Shah, and directed by Nikkhil Advani. Inspired by the Batla House encounter case that took place on 19 September 2008, the film stars John Abraham portraying the titular protagonist, based on the life of Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, the police officer who played an important role in the encounter, leading to the demise of his colleague Mohan Chand Sharma. The film showcases the encounter, and in its aftermath, Sanjeev's struggle to catch the fugitives and prove the authenticity of the encounter, while dealing with nationwide hatred and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Pramod Kumar Kushwah also known as Pramod Singh Kushwah is an Indian Police Service officer who gained public recognition primarily for his involvement in anti-terrorism operations.

References

  1. ↑ Tripathi, Rahul (14 September 2008). "Serial blasts rock Delhi; 30 dead, 90 injured". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 21 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Delhi terror mail traced to Mumbai, death toll 22". Ibnlive.com. September 2008.
  3. 1 2 "LeT proxy strikes on anniv of Batla House encounter". The Times of India . 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012.
  4. 1 2 Mohan, Vishwa; Tripathi, Rahul (21 September 2010). "Attackers chose to avoid heavy casualties". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 3 November 2012.
  5. ↑ "Court frames charges in Batla encounter case". rediff. 15 February 2011.
  6. ↑ "Did you know that DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav gave his inputs to keep John Abraham-starrer 'Batla House' authentic?". The Times of India .
  7. ↑ "Saif, Zeeshan sent to 14-day police custody". NDTV. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
  8. ↑ "Braveheart Inspector's death a huge loss". NDTV. September 2008. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008.
  9. ↑ "Saif, other militants have Dawood links: Intl agencies". Express India. September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
  10. ↑ Wahab, Hisham ul (24 September 2018). "A Decade after Batla House 'encounter': Haunting injustice and stigmatization". Maktoob media.
  11. ↑ "Behind the Batla House shootout". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 10 October 2008. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008.
  12. ↑ "Batla House encounter: NHRC gives clean chit to Delhi police". The Times of India . 22 July 2009. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012.
  13. ↑ "HC rejects judicial probe into Batla House encounter". Economic Times. 27 August 2009.
  14. ↑ "11 security personnel to get Ashok Chakra". CNN-IBN. 26 January 2009. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009.
  15. ↑ "Batla House case: Shehzad falsely implicated, will move SC, says sister". hindustan times. 31 July 2013. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "SP for judicial inquiry into Jamia encounter". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 8 October 2008. Archived from the original on 10 October 2008.
  17. ↑ "Attack on north Indians, Jamia encounter rocks LS". The Indian Express. 20 October 2008.
  18. ↑ "Batla House encounter: NHRC gives clean chit to cops". CNN-IBN. 22 July 2009. Archived from the original on 23 July 2009.
  19. ↑ "Batla encounter: Digvijay for speedy trial". The Times of India . 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012.
  20. ↑ "Questions Galore on the Death of MC Sharma in Batla House Encounter | Beyond Headlines". Beyondheadlines.in. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  21. ↑ Mohammad Ali (19 September 2008). "Batla House: IM operative convicted". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  22. ↑ "Correction". The Hindu. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  23. ↑ "Batla a genuine encounter; glad police could prove: Chidambaram". The Hindu.
  24. ↑ "Accused Shahzad held guilty in Batla House encounter case, court says raid genuine - Hindustan Times". Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  25. ↑ "State Vs. Shahzad Ahmad @ Pappu". Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  26. ↑ "Batla House: Court gave own theory in convicting Shahzad, says counsel". firstpost. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  27. ↑ "Batla House encounter accused Shahzad Ahmad convicted, sentenced on Monday". www.indiatvnews.com. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  28. ↑ "Was Batla encounter real?". MiD DAY. 21 September 2010.
  29. ↑ "Varanasi blast: Dr awaz, Bhatkal brothers emerge as main suspects after mail traced to Vashi". The Indian Express. 8 December 2010.
  30. ↑ "Varanasi blast: re-emergence of IM worries govt". CNN-IBN. 9 December 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012.
  31. ↑ "Yasin Bhatkal brought to city - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  32. ↑ "Delhi court awards death penalty to Ariz Khan in 2008 Batla House encounter case". The Times of India. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  33. ↑ Advani, Nikkhil (15 August 2019), Batla House (Action, Drama, Thriller), John Abraham, Nora Fatehi, Mrunal Thakur, Manish Chaudhary, Bake My Cake Films, Emmay Entertainment, J.A. Entertainment, retrieved 15 March 2021
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.