NHRC clean chit helped prosecution

The clean chit to Delhi Police from the Delhi High Court and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in August 2009 in the Batla encounter case was a big boost to the prosecution in the trial. Harish V Nair reports.

The clean chit to Delhi Police from the Delhi High Court and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in August 2009 in the Batla encounter case was a big boost to the prosecution in the trial.

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“It’s a statutory body and if it has come to the conclusion that it is not a fake encounter, then court should not interfere with it,” the then HC bench headed by Chief Justice AP Shah had said, endorsing the NHRC enquiry report.

The NHRC had concluded there were no human rights violations by the police, who acted in self-defence while killing the two alleged militants involved in the September 13 blasts.

The body also said special cell’s slain officer MC Sharma had been shot by militants and not fired at from behind by “mysterious persons” as alleged.

The court gave its verdict on a PIL filed by NGO, Act Now For Harmony and Democracy, through lawyer Prashant Bhushan, seeking a judicial inquiry into the encounter.