Delhi Court Convicts Tahir Hussain in IB Officer Ankit Sharma Murder Case
In a landmark verdict more than six years after the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, a Delhi court has convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma. The judgment marks the first murder conviction arising out of the communal violence that claimed 53 lives and left hundreds injured.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma Courts found Tahir Hussain guilty of offences including murder, rioting, promoting enmity between communities, unlawful assembly, kidnapping and related charges under the Indian Penal Code. However, the court acquitted him of the charge of criminal conspiracy under Section 120B IPC. Along with Hussain, Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim were also convicted, while six other accused were acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence.
The case stemmed from the killing of 26-year-old IB officer Ankit Sharma during the communal riots in Northeast Delhi in February 2020. Sharma’s body, bearing multiple stab wounds, was recovered from a drain near Chand Bagh after he had gone missing amid the violence. The prosecution alleged that he was attacked by a mob operating in the vicinity of Tahir Hussain’s residence, where large-scale violence had erupted.
The prosecution relied on eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence, CCTV footage, call records and other material to argue that Hussain played an active role in leading and instigating the unlawful assembly. The court accepted the prosecution’s case against the five convicted persons while holding that the evidence did not establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt against the remaining accused.
Ankit Sharma’s father, Ravinder Kumar, had consistently pursued the case since filing the complaint in 2020. Following the conviction, members of Sharma’s family reiterated their demand for the maximum punishment permissible under law, describing the verdict as an important step towards justice.
The conviction also carries political significance. Tahir Hussain, who was suspended by the AAP after his arrest, later joined the AIMIM while remaining in judicial custody. His conviction is expected to influence the ongoing legal proceedings in several other riot-related cases still pending before Delhi courts. The sentence is yet to be pronounced, with the prosecution expected to press for stringent punishment during the sentencing hearing.
