A Delhi court has scheduled July 23 for the sentencing hearing of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others convicted in the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. The court will begin hearing arguments on the sentence after delivering the judgment on Monday, where Hussain, Javed, Anas, Nazim, and Kasim were found guilty in the murder case.
The judgment, detailed in a 320-page document by Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh, found Hussain guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including murder, kidnapping, promoting enmity between groups on religious grounds, and rioting. The four co-convicts were also held guilty of the same offenses, while all five were acquitted of criminal conspiracy charges.
The case revolves around the killing of IB officer Ankit Sharma, whose body was discovered in a drain in the Khajuri Khas area during the communal violence in North-East Delhi. Prosecution alleges that Hussain and his associates were part of an unlawful assembly that abducted and murdered Sharma during the riots.
Sharma’s father filed the complaint leading to an FIR, stating his son went missing after leaving home to buy household items. The trial court had framed charges against 11 accused, including Hussain, for offenses such as rioting, murder, and promoting enmity between groups. The prosecution also claimed that Hussain had incited the mob to target Hindus during the framing of charges.
The Delhi High Court previously rejected Hussain’s bail plea in light of the allegations and evidence presented.
