New Delhi: In a landmark verdict delivered nearly six years after the communal violence that shook Northeast Delhi, a Karkardooma court has convicted five individuals, including former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, for the brutal murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma. The court, while delivering the judgment, acquitted six other co-accused due to a lack of sufficient evidence, bringing a significant closure to one of the most high-profile cases of the 2020 riots.
The incident dates back to the evening of February 25, 2020, when 26-year-old Ankit Sharma, an officer with the Intelligence Bureau, returned home from work amidst simmering tensions in the Chand Bagh area. Witness accounts and the police chargesheet suggest that Sharma had stepped out of his house to pacify a violent mob and reason with the agitators. However, he was allegedly cornered by a mob active near a local mosque and Tahir Hussain’s residence.
The investigation revealed that Sharma was dragged towards Hussain’s house, where he was subjected to a barbaric assault with sharp-edged weapons. His body was later discovered on February 26 in a nearby drain in Khajuri Khas. The post-mortem report sent shockwaves across the country, documenting over 50 deep injuries caused by knives and other sharp objects. Medical experts noted that the ferocity of the attack on his vital organs led to immediate death due to excessive blood loss.
The prosecution successfully argued that this was not a random act of violence but a “deep-seated conspiracy” aimed at targeting individuals from a specific community. The court had previously observed that while the conspiracy might not have been hatched specifically to kill Sharma, his murder became a part of the mob’s larger objective to inflict violence. Police evidence, including CCTV footage and call records, placed the convicts at the scene of the crime.
The trial saw intense legal maneuvering, with the defense claiming that Tahir Hussain was being framed due to political vendetta. They argued that Hussain was himself a victim trying to save his life during the riots. However, the court found the evidence against him and four others—Nazim, Kasim, Anas, and Javed—substantial enough for conviction under various sections, including murder (Section 302), rioting, and criminal conspiracy.
Tahir Hussain, identified as the mastermind behind the killing, reportedly broke down in the courtroom as the verdict was read out. This judgment marks a pivotal moment for the family of Ankit Sharma, who have been seeking justice since the tragic loss of the young officer during one of Delhi’s darkest chapters.