With a Delhi court convicting the Indian Mujahideen operative, Shahzad Ahmad, for murdering Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, a chapter of the >2008 Batla House encounter has come to an end. The verdict is a huge relief for Delhi police whose reputation took a big hit after the gang rape on December 16 last year.
No doubt, overt action by our law-enforcers has always come under criticism given the scale of rights violations. But what belies logic is the trial by the political class on the genuineness of the Batla House encounter. To raise doubts not based on facts will not only hurt the morale of the police but also undermine the judicial process and mislead the masses. Politicians should refrain from unwarranted banter on such sensitive issues.
Sahil Yadav,
New Delhi
It is now clear that the Batla House operation was not fake. But some political parties seem to believe otherwise. Some have even demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident. If this trend is not curbed, the Congress will demand judicial enquiries into all encounters with terrorists. This will result in lesser numbers being recruited to the armed forces and the police, and an increase in recruitment to terrorist organisations.
V. Venkatesh,
Chennai
