Delhi HC seeks police reply on ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain's appeal in IB officer murder case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Delhi Police on an appeal filed by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, challenging his conviction and life sentence in the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma during the February 2020 riots.

A division bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan admitted the appeal and scheduled it for hearing on December 2, alongside other connected appeals filed by co-convicts. The court also directed jail authorities to produce the convict's nominal roll and called for the trial court records in the case.

Hussain's appeal argues that the investigation against him was biased from the beginning and aimed at satisfying public anger. His plea alleges that the FIR was pre-dated and pre-timed, and that no substantive investigation was carried out until March 6, 2020 — the date of his arrest in another case. He further contends that witnesses were planted, statements of genuine eyewitnesses were manipulated, and the actual perpetrators have not been identified.

The counsel for Delhi Police stated that the State would argue all the appeals together, including Hussain's. The police have been directed to file their response before the next hearing.

Ankit Sharma, an IB staffer, went missing on February 25, 2020. His father, Ravinder Kumar, filed a complaint at the Dayalpur police station the next day. According to the prosecution, locals informed him that a body had been dumped in the Khajuri Khas drain from the mosque near Chand Bagh pulia. Sharma's body was recovered from the drain with 51 injuries.

On July 31, the trial court sentenced Hussain and four co-convicts — Nazim, Qasim, Javed, and Anas — to life imprisonment for Sharma's murder, ruling that the case did not fall under the 'rarest of rare' category that would warrant the death penalty.

The February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi resulted in the deaths of over 50 people and left hundreds injured. Ankit Sharma was among the victims whose killings were linked to the communal violence. The incident and subsequent legal proceedings have drawn significant public and judicial attention.

Hussain, who was earlier with the AAP, was also accused in other cases related to the riots. His appeal is being heard along with those of several other convicts involved in the same case, as the High Court seeks to consolidate proceedings to ensure a comprehensive review of the trial court's findings.

The court's decision to admit the appeal and seek a police response is a routine procedural step, but it reflects the ongoing judicial process in one of the most sensitive cases arising from the 2020 riots. The December 2 hearing will allow the court to examine the arguments presented by both the appellant and the state.

This development comes as part of a broader legal scrutiny of the riot-related cases, with several appeals and bail petitions pending before the High Court. The judiciary has repeatedly emphasised the need for fair trials and due process for all accused, while also acknowledging the gravity of the crimes committed during the riots.