Delhi Police Pursues Capital Punishment in High-Profile Delhi Riots Case
In a decisive legal development, the Delhi Police has requested a death sentence for former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others, following their conviction for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi Riots. The request was made during a session at the Karkardooma Court on Monday, where Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Praveen Singh presided over the proceedings.
During the court hearing, Delhi Police counsel argued that Sharma’s murder was executed in a “cold-blooded” and brutal manner, warranting the harshest punishment available under the law. Emphasizing the lack of remorse shown by the convicts, the counsel asserted, “Those who want mercy should also show mercy.”
Defending the accused, legal representatives for Hussain and the other convicts—Nazir, Asim, Javed, and Anas—countered the plea. They argued that the death penalty is reserved for the ‘rarest of rare’ cases, and contended that there was insufficient evidence of a conspiracy. Moreover, they highlighted that other individuals involved in the mob that targeted Sharma were acquitted of charges.
After hearing the submissions from both sides, Judge Singh reserved his decision, announcing that the final verdict would be delivered on July 31.
Convictions and Charges
Tahir Hussain and his co-convicts were found guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). These include Sections 188 (disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant), 153A (promoting enmity between groups), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person), and 302 (murder). However, they were acquitted on charges of criminal conspiracy under Section 120B.
More Read
The Incident and FIR Details
The case traces back to February 26, 2020, when Ankit Sharma’s father, Ravinder Kumar, filed a First Information Report (FIR) alleging that anti-CAA and pro-CAA protests at Chand Bagh Pulia, Main Karawal Nagar Road, escalated into violence over a span of 2-3 days. According to Kumar, Tahir Hussain, then a Municipal Councilor, allegedly organized a group of attackers from his office, orchestrating acts of violence including stone-pelting and firing, which resulted in a climate of fear in the area.
Kumar’s complaint detailed how his son, Ankit, went missing on February 25, 2020, after leaving home to purchase household items. Subsequently, local residents informed him that Ankit had been murdered and his body thrown into the Khajuri Khas nala. Ankit’s body was later recovered from the drain near Chand Bagh Pulia.
Ravinder Kumar strongly suspected that his son was murdered by Hussain and his accomplices, who were allegedly seen at Hussain’s office. Following the killing, they purportedly discarded Ankit’s body from the mosque at Chand Bagh.
