Congress, BJP again trade charges over Batla House encounter after arrest of suspected IM operative

With the arrest of suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Ariz Khan alias Junaid, the ghost of 2008 Batla House encounter has resurfaced with the Congress and the BJP trading allegations and counter-allegations over the veracity of the Operation Batla House that took place on September 19, 2008 in Batla House locality in Jamia Nagar, Delhi.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pramod Singh Kushwaha confirming the development had said that during the encounter Junaid had managed to escape.

Reacting to the development senior BJP leader and Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “At the time of Batla House encounter some Congress leaders had shed crocodile tears. Those people are getting exposed now.”

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid who had questioned the authenticity of the encounter at that time said, “It is the job of the police to arrest anybody who is reasonably accused of being involved in any criminal act. Someone was arrested and they should put him on trial quickly, make him accountable.”

“He should have been arrested from the site of the encounter itself. Police should explain why he was not arrested then, how he was allowed to escape? Now that he has been arrested, they should explain how he escaped,” added Khurshid.

Meanwhile, one Batla House resident observed, “It is a doubtful arrest. Encounter in 2008 was suspicious. Don't believe he was involved. We are not saying that if someone has committed a crime then no action should be taken but we don't want anyone to be wrongly implicated.”