Delhi court convicts former AAP councilor Tahir Hussain in IB officer Ankit Sharma’s murder case during 2020 riots | Today’s news
A Delhi court on Monday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councilor Tahir Hussain and four others in connection with the killing of intelligence officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, according to PTI.
Next session Judge Praveen Singh delivered the verdict in the case involving 11 accused, including Hussain, finding five of them guilty.
The court convicted Tahir Hussain on charges including abetting enmity, disorderly conduct, use of offensive and criminal force and murder.
The case stems from an FIR lodged at the Dayalpur police station on a complaint lodged by Ravinder Kumar, Ankit Sharma’s father.
According to him, Ankit Sharma returned home from work on February 25, 2020, before leaving again later that day.
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When he did not return, his family launched a search and were reportedly informed by locals that he had been killed and that his body had been dumped in the Khajuri Khas canal near a mosque in Chand Bagh Pulia area.
His body was later pulled from the sewer. In the complaint, Ankit Sharma’s father Ravinder Kumar accused former AAP councilor Tahir Hussain and others of murdering his son. They stated that the accused gathered in Hussain’s office and disposed of Ankit’s body after the killing.
What did father Ankit Sharma claim?
In his complaint, Ravinder Kumar alleged that his son was murdered by the then AAP councilor Hussain and others. It said they had allegedly gathered in Hussain’s office and Ankit’s body was disposed of after the murder.
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A court in Delhi charged the 11
A Delhi court on 24 March 2023 charged him and 10 other accused in the case for offenses under 120B (criminal conspiracy) IPC read with sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with a deadly weapon), 153A (promoting enmity between communities on grounds of religion), 30.ANIPC, IPC
The remaining accused in the case are Haseen, also known as Mullaji and 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 Indian Penal Code related to rioting, rioting with deadly weapons, promoting inter-group enmity, murder and criminal conspiracy.
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Tahir Hussain was also charged with incitement and statements that allegedly led to public nuisance.
Following the allegations, AAP suspended Hussain.
Ankit Sharma’s body was recovered from Khajuri Khas canal near Chand Bagh Pulia. He suffered multiple blunt force injuries to his head, face, chest, back and waist, according to case records. His face and several other parts of his body were also allegedly mutilated with acid in an attempt to conceal his identity.
The police, accompanied by the complainant and the deceased’s maternal uncle, took Sharma’s body to GTB Hospital, where he was declared brought dead, according to ANI.
The case relates to communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020 during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The riots included incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism that resulted in the death of 53 people and injuries to several others.
