Tahir Hussain, a former AAP councillor, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday for the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma. A Delhi court delivered the verdict at Karkardooma Court, more than five years after the killing took place during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. The case matters because it is one of the most significant convictions to emerge from riots that left 53 people dead and shook the national capital.
Who Is Tahir Hussain and What Was He Convicted Of?
Tahir Hussain served as an AAP councillor before he was suspended by the party after his name surfaced in the murder investigation. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh convicted Hussain along with Nazim, Qasim, Javed and Anas under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murder. The court also convicted them on charges of rioting, rioting with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and promoting enmity between groups under Section 153A. Tahir Hussain was acquitted of criminal conspiracy charges, as the prosecution could not attribute a specific role in the killing to him beyond unlawful assembly liability.
How Did the Ankit Sharma Murder Case Unfold?
Ankit Sharma, a 26-year-old IB staffer, went missing on February 25, 2020, during the riots that broke out over protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. His father, Ravinder Kumar, filed the FIR after he disappeared. Sharma’s body was later recovered from a drain near his home in the riot-hit Chand Bagh area. A post-mortem examination found 51 injuries caused by sharp and blunt weapons. The court observed that his body was dragged and thrown into the drain after the killing.
Why Did the Court Reject the Death Penalty for Tahir Hussain?
Delhi Police had sought capital punishment for Tahir Hussain and the four co-convicts, citing the brutality of the crime. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh held that the offence was extremely violent but did not meet the threshold of the “rarest of rare” category required for a death sentence. The court noted that the prosecution had not established that the convicts were beyond any possibility of reform.
What Happens Next in the Tahir Hussain Case?
- Tahir Hussain was fined Rs 5 lakh under Section 302, along with smaller fines under other sections
- Co-convicts Nazim, Qasim, Javed and Anas received life imprisonment with a fine of Rs 25,000 each
- Speaking after the verdict, Hussain said he expected to get justice from the High Court, signalling plans to appeal
- Ankit Sharma’s brother, Ankur Sharma, told ANI the family had sought the death penalty and would continue pursuing the matter before higher courts
Supporters of the verdict view it as an important step towards accountability for riot-related violence and closure for the victim’s family after a five-year wait. Critics, including sections of the prosecution and the victim’s family, argue that a case involving 51 injuries and body disposal in a drain warranted the harshest punishment available under law. The matter is expected to move to the Delhi High Court, where both sides may contest the sentencing.
The life sentence handed to Tahir Hussain closes a long chapter in one of the most scrutinised cases linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, though an appeal before the Delhi High Court could still alter the outcome. For the family of Ankit Sharma, the verdict brings partial closure while the pursuit of what they consider full justice continues.
This report is based on court proceedings reported by NDTV, The Hindu, India TV News and The Indian Express, along with statements carried by ANI.