Sonia Gandhi, Mamata, Kejriwal should apologise to nation: Prakash Javadekar after court's verdict on Batla House encounter case

Soon after the Delhi Court's verdict that awarded death penalty to the 2008 Batla House encounter convict, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday demanded an apology from the top opposition leaders of the country who had questioned the police action in connection with the case.

"Sonia Ji, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and Digvijaya Singh had raised questions on the police action. And, in a way, they sided with the terrorists. I demand that they should apologise to the nation," Javadekar told .

A Delhi Court on Monday awarded the death penalty to the 2008 Batla House encounter case convict Ariz Khan calling it the rarest of rare cases.

Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav also slapped a fine of Rs 11 lakh against the convict and directed that out of the fine amount Rs 10 lakh be released to the family of deceased Mohan Chand Sharma as compensation.Earlier on Monday, the Delhi Police urged the court to award the death penalty to convict Ariz Khan in the 2008 Batla House encounter case.

Representing Delhi Police, Public Prosecutor AT Ansari told the judge that it was a gruesome murder of law enforcement officer and defender of justice while discharging his duty and therefore a serious exercise is required to be undertaken in this case for determining the quantum of sentence.

The incident took place a week after five serial blasts had hit Delhi on 13 September 2008 in which at least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured. Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma of Special Cell was killed during the 2008 Batla House encounter.

( With inputs from ANI )