Delhi High Court Commutes Batla House Convict's Death Penalty To Life Term

The Delhi High Court on Thursday commuted the death penalty awarded to Ariz Khan following his conviction in the sensational 2008 Batla House encounter in which decorated Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma died to life term.

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Amit Sharma upheld a trial court order convicting Khan of the murder of the police official but refused to confirm the capital punishment.

A detailed copy of the court's order is awaited.

The bench had reserved its judgement on the issue in August after the lawyers for the convict and the state concluded their submissions.

Mohan Chand Sharma, an officer of the Delhi Police's Special Cell, was killed in the encounter between the police and the terrorists in south Delhi's Jamia Nagar on September 19, 2008. 

Two terrorists were also killed in the encounter that happened days after five synchronised bomb explosions in the national capital killed 39 people and wounded 159.

Mr Sharma raided the place while looking for the terrorists behind the blasts.

The trial court convicted Khan on March 8, 2021, saying it was duly proved that he and his associates killed the policeman and fired at him. It said his offence fell under the "rarest of the rare category", warranting the maximum sentence and that he be "hanged by the neck" till death.

On March 15, 2021, it sentenced Khan to death and imposed a fine of Rs 11 lakh on him, making it clear that Rs 10 lakh should immediately be released to Mohan Chand Sharma's family.

Subsequently, the High Court received a reference for confirmation of the death sentence.

When a trial court sentences a convict to death, its judgement is examined by the High Court which needs to confirm the penalty before the execution.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)