It was an emotional moment for the Delhi Police personnel who were part of the raiding party led by Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in the Batla House encounter. They hugged each other, some were in tears, as soon as the court held Indian Mujahideen operative Shahzad Ahmed guilty of killing their brave officer. They said the court’s order proved the encounter was genuine. With a victorious smile on their faces, nearly half a dozen policemen broke down outside the courtroom as soon as the verdict was pronounced. “His sacrifice has been honoured,” they said.
Head Constable Balwant Singh Rana, who himself was injured in the encounter, recollected, “Sharma Sir was a very brave officer. After so many years, everything has been cleared. His death was not merely a personal loss for his family but it a big loss for Delhi Police too.”
Rana was present with the Sharma during the Batla House encounter.
The court was packed with mediapersons and police officers who were seen murmuring. All heads turned towards Shahzad as soon as he entered the courtroom amid tight security. He was surrounded by nearly 20 police officers all the time.
While the judgement was being pronounced, Shahzad maintained calm, though he appeared anxious. He was brought alone in a police van from Tihar Jail.
A team of Delhi Police inspected the court premises with sniffer dogs. There was a heavy deployment inside and outside court premises to make sure that there was no untoward incident.
A policeman said, “It’s an important matter, we do not want to take chances. The law and order situation needs high vigilance.”