Former Aap Councillor Tahir Hussain, Four Others Convicted In IB Officer Ankit Sharma Murder Case

A Delhi court on Monday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots. Six other accused were acquitted in the case.

The Karkardooma Court found Hussain guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including:

• Section 302 — murder
• Section 365 — kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person
• Section 188 — disobedience to an order issued by a public servant
• Section 153A — promoting enmity between groups on religious grounds
• Sections 147 and 148 — rioting and rioting while armed with a deadly weapon
• Section 149 — unlawful assembly

Along with Hussain, the court convicted four other accused, Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim, for their role in Sharma’s murder.

However, the court acquitted the accused of charges related to criminal conspiracy under Section 120B of the IPC.

Six accused acquitted

The court acquitted six other accused persons, observing that the prosecution had failed to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The court is yet to decide the quantum of punishment. Arguments on sentencing will be heard on a later date.

Case linked to 2020 Delhi riots

The case relates to the death of IB officer Ankit Sharma, whose body was recovered from a drain in the Khajuri Khas area on 26 February 2020, during the communal violence that affected parts of northeast Delhi.

According to the prosecution, Hussain and the other accused were part of an unlawful assembly that allegedly abducted and killed Sharma during the riots.

An FIR was registered on February 26, 2020 based on a complaint filed by Sharma’s father, Ravinder Kumar.

The complaint stated that Sharma had left his home on February 25, 2020, to purchase household items but did not return. His family later learnt from locals that a person had allegedly been thrown into the Khajuri Khas drain from the Chand Bagh area, following which Sharma’s body was recovered.

The complainant alleged that Hussain and his associates were responsible for the killing.

Charges framed in 2023

In March 2023, the trial court framed charges against 11 accused, including Hussain, for offences including murder, rioting, promoting enmity between groups and criminal conspiracy.

During the charge-framing stage, the prosecution had alleged that Hussain incited a mob and encouraged attacks during the violence. These allegations formed part of the prosecution’s arguments before the court.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had rejected Hussain’s bail plea after examining the allegations and material presented before it.

The Karkardooma Court had earlier postponed the verdict from July 7 to 13 before delivering its order.