Before Convicting Tahir Hussain, Judge Visited Delhi Riots Crime Scene to Verify Witness Claims
A judicial panel led by Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of Karkardooma Court visited Chand Bagh in northeast Delhi on May 11 to inspect the crime scene related to the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 riots. The visit, conducted before the pronouncement of judgment, aimed to verify witness testimonies and understand the topography of the area.
Heavy police deployment accompanied the panel, which included court staff, defence and prosecution counsel, and officers from the local police and Crime Branch. Police sources noted that such pre-judgment site visits are rare, with similar instances seen during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The inspection covered locations where Sharma was allegedly dragged by a mob, his residence in Gali 6 of Khajuri Khas’s E Block, and the drain below Chand Bagh Pulia where his body was found. The drain is approximately 200 metres from his street, with Hussain’s house situated between Sharma’s home and the drain.
In his order, Judge Singh addressed a challenge to a witness’s testimony, noting that the witness had never claimed to have seen the incident from inside the gate of Gali 6. “Her statement that she had come up to the gate of her gali and then seen the incident cannot be interpreted to mean that she remained inside the gate,” the order said. The judge observed that the witness’s exact position near the gate was never clarified, and she stated that the gate was open during her visits.
The judge further recorded that during the inspection, Chand Bagh Pulia was clearly visible from the point where the lane meets Main Karawal Nagar Road. Even from inside the gate of Gali 6, Hussain’s house and the parking area of a prosecution witness were visible, along with a stretch of 5-10 metres before the bridge. The court noted that the witness had not said she saw Hussain at the bridge but near Sharma’s house, which was close to the bridge.
Given the widespread rioting in the area, the court held that the mob would have been within the witness’s field of vision. “If Tahir Hussain was present with the mob near his house, she could very well have seen him,” the order added.
