Govt moves HC seeking death for Batla convict

Advocate Rajesh Mahajan,who filed the appeal on behalf of the Delhi government,said,“We have sought enhancement of the punishment awarded to Shahzad on the ground that the case is rarest of rare as it involves the killing of a police officer during discharge of his duty.”

Shahzad,25,was awarded life imprisonment on July 30 by a sessions court for killing the police officer in the September 19,2008 encounter.

A team of Delhi Police Special Cell had raided the Batla House flat in Jamia Nagar on a tip-off that terrorists involved in the September 13,2008 serial blasts in the city Dwere holed up there.

He was also held guilty of injuring two other cops.

While awarding him life term,the court had noted that death of Sharma had shocked the collective conscience of the entire nation.

He was also slapped with a fine of Rs 95,000 of which Rs 40,000 was to be given to Sharma’s family and Rs 20,000 to Head Constable Balwant Singh,who was injured in the encounter.

Shahzad is also among the 13 suspected terrorists facing trial in the 2008 Delhi serial blasts case. The multiple blasts had left 26 dead and 133 injured.