A Delhi court on Tuesday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020. The verdict marks a significant development in one of the most high-profile cases linked to the communal violence that claimed dozens of lives and left widespread destruction across the national capital.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh delivered the judgment after hearing the case against 11 accused, including Hussain. The court held five accused guilty, while the remaining accused were acquitted or granted relief in the case.
The court convicted Tahir Hussain under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including charges related to promoting enmity between communities, rioting, assault, use of criminal force and murder. The prosecution had alleged that Hussain was part of an unlawful assembly involved in the killing of Ankit Sharma during the violence that engulfed several areas of northeast Delhi in February 2020.
The case was registered at Dayalpur police station on the complaint of Ankit Sharma's father, Ravinder Kumar. According to the prosecution, Sharma was attacked by a mob during the riots, and his body was later recovered from a drain in the Chand Bagh area. The incident became one of the most widely discussed cases arising out of the riots.
Following the emergence of allegations against him during the investigation, Tahir Hussain was suspended by the Aam Aadmi Party. Hussain has consistently denied the charges against him throughout the legal proceedings.
The northeast Delhi riots erupted in February 2020 amid tensions over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The violence resulted in the deaths of 53 people, left hundreds injured, and caused extensive damage to homes, shops, vehicles and public property worth several crores of rupees.
In March 2023, a Delhi court formally framed charges against Tahir Hussain and 10 other accused in connection with Ankit Sharma's murder. The trial subsequently examined witness testimonies, forensic evidence and other material placed before the court before arriving at its verdict.
The conviction is expected to have legal and political significance, as the Ankit Sharma murder case has remained one of the most closely watched prosecutions stemming from the 2020 Delhi riots. The sentencing of the convicted individuals will be determined in a separate hearing.
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