Tahir Hussain and four others convicted in IB personnel Ankit Sharma murder case

A Delhi court on July 13, 2026 convicted former Aam Aadmi Party councilor Tahir Hussain and four others for killing intelligence officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. | Photo credit: PTI

A Delhi court on Monday (July 13, 2026) convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councilor Tahir Hussain and four others for murdering Intelligence Service (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

Next Session Justice Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma Courts delivered the verdict in open court. A detailed order was pending at the time of filing this report.

Hussain was convicted of murder, kidnapping with intent to imprison, rioting with a deadly weapon, unlawful assembly and promoting enmity between different groups, among other serious charges. However, he was acquitted of charges of criminal conspiracy and aiding and abetting rebellion.

The court also convicted Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim of the crime while acquitting six other accused persons who were facing trial in the case.

Of the accused, only Hussein, Nazim and Kasim were in judicial custody. The remaining accused were released on bail during the proceedings.

Hussain’s bail plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court in September 2025.

Meanwhile, AAP pointed out that Hussain had contested the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections as the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate. “He contested from Mustafabad, a Muslim-majority constituency, where his candidature divided the Muslim vote and ultimately helped the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) candidate win the seat,” AAP said in a statement.

“Within hours of registering an FIR (First Information Report) against Tahir Hussain in the 2020 Delhi riots case, AAP suspended him from primary party membership on 27 February 2020. He has had no association with AAP since then,” the party said.

The case stems from an FIR registered at the Dayalpur police station on a complaint filed by the deceased’s father, Ravinder Kumar. In his complaint, Mr. Kumar stated that his son had returned home from work on February 25, 2020, but had again left for some work. When he did not return, the family launched a search and were later informed that he had been killed. His body was subsequently recovered from a drain near a mosque in Chand Bagh Pulia area. The autopsy recorded 51 antemortem injuries caused by sharp-edged weapons and blunt force trauma. Mr. Kumar accused Hussain and others of the crime. On March 24, 2023, the court of first instance filed charges against the accused.

The court is expected to hear from the parties on the amount of the penalty at a later date.

Published – 13 Jul 2026 20:44 IST