Delhi Court Convicts Ex Councillor Tahir Hussain For Murder Of IB Officer

New Delhi : Six years after the communal violence that rocked the national capital, a Delhi court has convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) municipal councillor Tahir Hussain for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.

 Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma Courts delivered the landmark verdict, pronouncing Hussain guilty of murder, kidnapping with intent to confine, rioting with deadly weapons, unlawful assembly, and promoting enmity between different religious groups.

The court also convicted four co-accused—Javed, Anas, Nazim, and Kasim—for their active roles in the crime, while acquitting six others due to a lack of definitive evidence.  The case stems from the brutal killing of 26-year-old Ankit Sharma on February 25, 2020, during severe clashes in the Chand Bagh Pulia area.

According to the prosecution, Sharma had stepped into the street to pacify clashing groups when a mob led and instigated by Hussain seized him. He was dragged away, violently assaulted, and stabbed multiple times before his body was thrown into a local drain.

A subsequent post-mortem report revealed a staggering 51 injuries inflicted by sharp-edged weapons and blunt force trauma.  The court rejected Hussain's defense that he was not present at the site of the incident.

Following the ruling, the AAP issued a clarifying statement, emphasizing that Hussain had been suspended from the party's primary membership immediately after the FIR was registered in February 2020 and has since had no association with them.  The formal announcement regarding the quantum of punishment for the convicted individuals is expected to follow shortly.