New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has given a clean chit to Delhi Police in the Batla House encounter.
This has angered residents of the south Delhi locality who say they want a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Ten months after the Batla House encounter anger among residents back on the boil as the NHRC rules out, it was a fake encounter giving a clean chit to the police.
The NHRC report says killing of the two alleged Indian Mujahideen terrorists was an act of self-defence and there was no human rights violation involved.
Residents say they were innocent students wrongly killed as police could not track the culprits.
"There are four floors. NHRC didn't speak to anyone. No one came here and spoke to the people who were present when this happened," said Hamid Ali, Resident, Batla House.
"They were students? How could they be terrorists? Okhla has got such bad name now. Are all Muslims terrorists?" asked one resident.
The people of Batla House have made up their mind that they want a judicial inquiry and do not agree with the findings of the NHRC Report. Their mistrust of authorities is deep-rooted stemming from their fear of being a targeted community.
With many prominent voice joining the fight in court names like Arundhati Roy and Prashant Bhushan demanding an independent inquiry into unanswered questions like:
Why did the Inspector Sharma who died was not wearing a bullet-proof jacket?
How did two terrorists escape?
And did the NHRC report rely heavily on the police's own inquiry?
The NHRC on its part maintains, there is ample and sufficient material establishing there was imminent danger to the life of members of the police party.
The police party clearly acted in right of self-defence. In such circumstances the action taken in which Mohammad Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid received fatal injuries and died is fully protected by law.
NHRC responds, Batla House encounter findings:
"There is ample and sufficient material before us which leads to the irresistible conclusion that there was imminent danger to the life of members of the police party. The police party clearly acted in right of self-defence. In such circumstances, the action taken by the police party in which Mohammad Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid received fatal injuries and died is fully protected by law."
"It is a welcome development and nobody should play politics over the encounter," said Rashid Alvi, MP, Congress.
Either way, the conclusion seems some distance away.