Delhi Police Seek Death Penalty for Tahir Hussain, Four Others in Ankit Sharma Murder

The Delhi Police on Monday urged a city court to award the death penalty to former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others convicted in the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots.

Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey, arguing before Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh at Karkardooma Courts, described the killing as “cold-blooded” and a “rarest of rare” case, citing 51 injuries on the victim’s body—18 of them from sharp-edged weapons. “The assault continued even after the victim had died,” the prosecution stated, emphasising the brutality of the crime.

The court reserved its order on the quantum of sentence for July 31 after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence counsels for all five convicts.

Ankit Sharma, an Intelligence Bureau employee, went missing on February 26, 2020, when he left home to buy groceries during the communal riots that had erupted in northeast Delhi. His body was later recovered from a drain near Chand Bagh Pulia, and he was declared dead on arrival at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. His father lodged a complaint naming Tahir Hussain and others.

The prosecution examined 91 witnesses during the trial, relying on eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence, and call detail records. In March 2023, the trial court framed charges against 11 accused, including Hussain, for rioting, murder, abduction, criminal conspiracy, and promoting enmity. Five of them were convicted on July 14, 2026 (as per court records).

The defence counsel for Hussain opposed the death penalty, arguing that the trial court’s judgment established the presence of a mob but did not attribute a specific role to each convict sufficient to justify capital punishment. The court will now decide the sentences for Hussain, Nazim, Kasim, Javed, and Anas on the next date of hearing.

The case has drawn significant attention due to the political background of the accused and the communal nature of the 2020 Delhi riots, which resulted in over 50 deaths and widespread property damage. The police have maintained that the evidence points to a targeted killing, while the defence contends that the conviction was based on circumstantial evidence.