Delhi riots: Ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain convicted of murder
What's the story
A Delhi court has convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councilor Tahir Hussain and four others of the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. The verdict was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh, PTI reported. Hussain was found guilty of charges including promoting enmity, rioting, and murder, but was acquitted of criminal conspiracy charges.
Case details
Case based on complaint by Ankit's father
The case stems from a complaint filed by Ankit Sharma's father, Ravinder Kumar, at the Dayalpur police station.
Ankit had returned home from work on February 25, 2020, but went missing later that day.
His family was informed by locals that he had been murdered and his body dumped in Khajuri Khas drain near a mosque in Chand Bagh Pulia area.
Charges framed
Body recovered from drain
The body was later recovered from the drain.
In his complaint, Ravinder Kumar alleged that his son was murdered by Hussain and others who allegedly gathered at Hussain's office to dispose of Ankit's body after the killing.
On March 24, 2023, a Delhi court had framed charges against Hussain and 10 others for offenses including rioting and murder under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Co-accused
5 of 11 accused found guilty
Of the 11 accused in the case, five were found guilty by the court.
The remaining accused in the case are Haseen, also known as Mullaji or Salman, Nazim, Kasim, Sameer Khan, Anas, Firoz, Javed, Gulfam, Shoaib Alam alias Bobby, and Muntajim alias Musa.
The accused faced charges under various provisions of the IPC related to rioting, rioting with deadly weapons, promoting hostility between groups, murder, and criminal conspiracy.
Aftermath
Face disfigured with acid
Hussain was also charged with abetment and making statements leading to public mischief. The allegations led to his suspension from AAP.
Ankit Sharma's post-mortem revealed multiple sharp-force injuries on his head, face, chest, back, and waist.
His face was allegedly disfigured with acid in an attempt to conceal his identity.
Riot aftermath
Court to decide on sentence for convicts later
The case is linked to the communal violence that erupted in Northeast Delhi in February 2020 amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The riots involved stone pelting, arson, and vandalism, killing 53 people and injuring several others.
The court will now hear arguments on the quantum of sentence for Hussain and other convicted individuals at a later date.