Batla House encounter case: Court frees caretaker accused of harbouring 'terrorists'

New Delhi: The Saket Court on Tuesday discharged the caretaker of the Batla House, where two suspected militants were killed in an encounter in 2008.

The caretaker was accused of harbouring tenants allegedly engaged in terrorist activities.

Counsel for Abdul Rehman, M.S. Khan, submitted that the police had failed to produce the original lease deed, the crucial piece of evidence, which was allegedly forged by Rehman.

The encounter, which had taken place during the former UPA regime, came into news in 2016 amid a claim by an alleged ISIS operative that he had fled Batla House right before the police raided it.

Batla House encounter, officially known as Operation Batla House, took place on September 19, 2008, against Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists in Batla House locality in Jamia Nagar, Delhi, in which two suspected terrorists were killed while two other suspects were arrested.

Encounter specialist and Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who led the police action, was also killed during the incident.

According to the reports, Mohammed Sajid alias Bada Sajid is one of the six persons who features in the 22-minute video allegedly posted by the Islamic State recently, however he was one of the terrorists who was claimed as killed in the encounter.

A Delhi court had in 2013 sentenced to life the lone convict and suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Shahzad Ahmad in the case for killing decorated police officer Sharma and injuring two other policemen.