Former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain Convicted for Murder of IB Staffer in 2020 Delhi Riots
A Delhi court on [date] convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain for the murder of 26-year-old Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. The court described the assault as a 'savage and relentless attack' and held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh found that Hussain was part of a 'heavily armed' mob that abducted Sharma before killing him. The court relied on the testimony of five eyewitnesses who placed Hussain at the scene of the crime at Chand Bagh Pulia around 5 pm on February 25, 2020.
The judge noted that the mob acted with 'animus against Hindus' and had a common object of rioting, looting, arson, and causing damage to persons and property of the Hindu community. 'Hence, any prudent person, being a member of this assembly, would have known... in such clashes which were based upon communal hatred, it was likely that a person belonging to the opposite community could be killed,' the court said.
One eyewitness testified that Hussain was delivering an instigating speech, calling Hindus 'Kafirs' and urging the mob to teach them a lesson. Another witness stated that he saw Hussain leading the mob, shouting 'maaro maaro' as they assaulted Sharma with knives, sticks, swords, bricks, and iron rods before throwing his body into a drain.
The prosecution examined 91 witnesses in total. However, the court deemed the testimonies of two police witnesses unreliable, noting 'considerable improvements' in their statements. The court rejected defence arguments that the eyewitnesses were 'chance witnesses' or that their testimonies were fabricated.
The 2020 Northeast Delhi riots erupted in February 2020, leaving over 50 dead and hundreds injured. The violence occurred amid clashes over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Ankit Sharma, an IB staffer, was among those killed. His murder became a flashpoint in the communal tensions.
The conviction is seen as a significant legal step in prosecuting those responsible for the riots. Hussain is also facing charges in other riot-related cases. The sentencing is expected to be pronounced on a later date.
