The
Delhi High Court has commuted Indian Mujahideen terrorist Ariz Khan’s death
sentence, that he was awarded following his conviction in the 2008 Batla House
encounter case.
The
death penalty has been commuted to life in prison.
Fifteen
years after gunshots rang in L-18 flat of Delhi’s Batla House, leaving two
terrorists and one police inspector, Mohan Chand Sharma, dead, the Delhi High
Court on Thursday pronounced its order on the reference for confirmation of
death penalty to Indian Mujahideen terrorist Ariz Khan.
Khan
was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell in 2018, almost a decade after
being on the run following the said encounter.
A
bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul and Amit Sharma also pronounced orders
on the appeal filed by Khan challenging his conviction and death sentence in
the case related to Sharma’s killing.
In
May 2021, Delhi’s Saket Court had convicted Khan for Sharma’s murder during the
encounter between police and the said terrorists at South East Delhi’s Batla
House.
Additional
Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav had held Khan guilty under sections 186, 333, 353,
302, 397 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 27 of Arms Act.
While
pronouncing the order, the court had said, “Proved on record Khan, with
associates, voluntarily causing grievous hurt to one SI. Also proved on record,
Khan with associates, intentionally and knowingly caused murder of Sharma by
firearm.”
"With
the evidence adduced on record ocular, documentary and scientific, the
prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Khan along with accomplices
obstructed Sharma in discharge of public function and in furtherance of common
intention, used criminal force to decease Sharma," the court said.
The
court had also observed that it is proved that Khan, with his associates,
voluntarily caused grievous hurt to one SI.