Batla House encounter: Trinamool demands judicial probe

UPA constituent Trinamool Congress today demanded judicial probe into the Batla House shootout here to clear controversies surrounding the case "once and for all."

"The incident (Batla House) happened in 2008 and four years have passed since then. But the controversies surrounding the incident always come up during the election period. Our party wants judicial inquiry into the case to clear controversies," Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed said here.

Home Minister P Chidambaram has already ruled out reopening the Batla House encounter case in which two suspected terrorists and Delhi Police inspector MC Sharma were killed.

"There are many versions on the encounter...Home Minister P Chidambaram is saying something, Congress leader Digvijay Singh is saying something.. let it be settled once and for all," the Trinamool leader said.

Digvijay Singh has been claiming that the encounter was fake but Chidambaram recently asserted that all authorities have concluded that the encounter was "genuine" and there was no scope for reopening the case.

TMC has fielded 37 candidates in the second phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

However, Ahmed said TMC is not exploring any third front alterantive. We are part of the UPA government at the Centre and our coalition government is in West Bengal. But we are contesting elections in UP, Uttrakhand, Manipur and Goa."

Asked whether West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will campaign in UP elections, he said "no decision has been taken so far."