2020 Delhi Riots: Court Convicts Tahir Hussain, Five Others for Murder of IB Officer Ankit Sharma
More than six years after the communal violence that engulfed northeast Delhi in February 2020, a Delhi court has convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and five others for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma, in one of the most closely watched criminal trials arising from the riots. The verdict marks the first murder conviction in the series of cases stemming from the 2020 Delhi riots.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma Courts held Hussain guilty of offences including murder, kidnapping, rioting, unlawful assembly and promoting enmity between communities. However, the court acquitted him of the charge of criminal conspiracy, finding that the prosecution had not established that allegation beyond reasonable doubt. Four co-accused—Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim—were also convicted, while six other accused were acquitted for want of sufficient evidence.
The case relates to the death of Ankit Sharma, whose body was recovered from a drain in northeast Delhi during the riots that erupted in February 2020. Sharma’s father had alleged that Hussain and his associates were responsible for abducting and killing his son amid the widespread communal violence. The prosecution relied on eyewitness testimonies, forensic evidence, electronic records and other material collected during the investigation to establish the accused’s involvement.
The court concluded that Hussain was an active participant in the unlawful assembly and shared the common object of the mob that attacked Sharma. While rejecting the conspiracy charge, the court found sufficient evidence to hold him criminally liable for the murder and related offences committed during the riots. The detailed reasoning is expected to be reflected in the full judgment, while arguments on the quantum of sentence are to follow separately.
The conviction carries significant legal and political implications. Hussain, who was suspended by the AAP after his arrest in 2020, has remained in custody in connection with multiple cases linked to the Delhi riots. The verdict represents a major milestone in the prosecution of riot-related offences, although several other cases arising from the violence—including those involving allegations of murder, conspiracy and larger riot conspiracies—continue to remain pending before various courts.
The judgment does not conclude the legal proceedings. The trial court will now hear submissions on sentencing before determining the punishment, while the convicted persons retain the statutory right to challenge both the conviction and the sentence before the Delhi High Court. As one of the most prominent cases emerging from the 2020 Delhi riots, the outcome is expected to influence the trajectory of several pending prosecutions connected to the violence.
