Life Imprisonment for Tahir Hussain, Four Others in Murder of IB Staffer Ankit Sharma
A Delhi court on Friday sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others to life imprisonment in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma. The killing took place during the February 2020 communal riots in northeast Delhi. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of Karkardooma Court pronounced the sentence after the five accused were convicted earlier this month.
The convicted individuals were identified as Tahir Hussain, Javed, Anas, Nazim, and Kasim. The court also acquitted six other accused who had faced trial in the same case. Hussain was found guilty of murder, kidnapping with intent to confine, rioting with deadly weapons, unlawful assembly, and promoting enmity between different groups. However, he was acquitted of charges of criminal conspiracy and abetment of mutiny.
During the sentencing hearing, the Delhi Police argued that the killing was "cold-blooded" and fell within the "rarest of rare" category, and sought the death penalty for Hussain. The post-mortem examination had recorded 51 ante-mortem injuries on the victim's body, caused by sharp-edged weapons and blunt force trauma.
The case was registered at Dayalpur police station on a complaint filed by the victim's father, Ravinder Kumar. He stated that his son had returned home from work on February 25, 2020, but left again on some work. When he did not return, the family searched for him and later learned of his death. The body was recovered from a drain near a mosque in the Chand Bagh Pulia area. Kumar accused Hussain and others of being responsible for the murder.
The trial court framed charges against the accused on March 24, 2023. During the trial, the prosecution examined witnesses and presented material evidence to support the charges. The defence maintained that the accused were innocent and had been falsely implicated. After considering the evidence and arguments, the court convicted the five accused and acquitted the others.
The February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi resulted in widespread violence, leading to the deaths of more than 50 people and injuries to many others. Ankit Sharma's murder was among the prominent cases investigated by the Delhi Police. The sentencing in this case marks the conclusion of a legal process that spanned over six years. The court's detailed judgment is awaited, and other related cases from the riots remain pending in courts.
