A Delhi court on Monday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots.
Session Judge Praveen Singh of Karkardooma court pronounced the verdict.Hussain was convicted for offences under 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) of the Indian Penal Code. Hussain was suspended by the Aam Aadmi Party after his name came up in the case.
He was acquitted of criminal conspiracy under Section 120B of IPC.The Court also convicted Nazir, Asim, Javed and Anas for the same offences.The First Information Report (FIR) in the matter was lodged on a complaint by Ankit Sharma's father, Ravinder Kumar, on February 26, 2020.
He alleged that demonstrations by anti-CAA and pro-CAA protesters went on for 2-3 days at Chand Bagh Pulia, Main Karawal Nagar Road, in which incidents of stone pelting, brick batting, arson, firing and sabotage had taken place from both sides.He claimed that Hussain, the then Municipal Councilor whose office was nearby, had gathered a lot of goons in his office. With their help, he had pelted stones, petrol bombs and also fired shots from the rooftop of the office, creating an atmosphere of fear among the public.
Ravinder further alleged that on February 25, 2020, his son went out to buy household goods but did not return for a long time, prompting him to file a missing persons complaint.He was informed by locals that a boy had been thrown into the Khajuri Khas nala from the Masjid of Chand Bagh pulia after he was killed. Subsequently, Ankit's body was recovered from Khajuri Khas nala near Chand Bagh Pulia.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh was hearing the case against a total of 11 accused, including Hussain, and convicted five of them. The court found Hussain guilty under the charges of promoting enmity, rioting, assault, criminal force and murder.
Sharma, a 26-yearold IB officer, was found dead in Northeast Delhi's Vhand Bagh area during the Delhi riots of 2020 which led to the death of at least 53 people. The drain from where Sharma's dead body was pulled out is close to Hussain’s house and Sharma’s family had blamed the former AAP leader of leading the mob to kill him.
Hussain was a councillor from Ward number 59 under Mustafabad assembly constituency in east Delhi and had won the municipal election in 2017. He was the richest candidate in the the ward with declared assets worth ₹16 crore in the affidavit.
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