Batla House defies facts, figures: Martyr Sharma’s wife
Mohan Chand Sharma
New Delhi – New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Maya Sharma, widow of Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, martyred in the Batla House encounter on September 19, 2008, has decided to continue the fight to protect her husband’s image and reputation and had also served a legal notice on the makers of the movie ‘Batla House’.
“I will not watch the movie. It portrays incorrect facts and figures,” Sharma told IANS, just few days before the film’s scheduled release on August 15.
“I had served a legal notice to the film’s makers to ensure that Mohan’s name and character is not depicted wrongly in the movie. Recently, I saw the trailer online and it paints a different picture. I feel hurt. It was a team of people,” she said.
Known as encounter specialist and one of the most decorated officers of the Delhi Police, Sharma was martyred during the operation.
“If they (filmmakers) were fair and wanted to portray what they have done then they should have called it ‘Post Batla House’. I object. You can’t take away one’s credit, supreme sacrifice of my husband,” said Maya.
Whether the filmmakers approached her before or during the making of the movie to collect information about her husband, Maya said, “They have neither spoken to me, nor approached me. All the communication that has happened, happened only after I sent a legal notice last year,” she said.
“Show reality and facts. Don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. When cops are out on duty they have sleepless nights. It’s not just about a person but the entire team. Our lives changed after he left us. It has taken us time to revolve and recover,” Maya said.
Sharma was the only brother among five siblings and see the twist of fate, the movie was being released on the rakshabandhan day, she said.
Who gave the permission to make a film? No one has the answer. She even met the Delhi Police Commissioner last year to raise the issue. According to sources, the Delhi Police officials just explained and cleared the filmmakers’ doubts.
The Delhi Police had claimed that five men,holed up in a flat in Batla House, were involved in the September 13, 2008 serial blasts. While two men were killed, two were arrested and one escaped during the encounter.
(Sakshi Chand can be contacted at sakshi.c@ians.in)
Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.