NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma, who was killed during the communal violence that engulfed northeast Delhi in February 2020.The verdict comes more than six years after Sharma’s killing, one of the most high-profile cases linked to the riots. According to news agency PTI, the court convicted Hussain of murder and several other offences while acquitting him of criminal conspiracy and abetment charges. Six co-accused were acquitted.Who was Ankit Sharma?
- Ankit Sharma was an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer posted in Delhi.
- He lived with his family in northeast Delhi, one of the areas worst affected by the communal riots in February 2020.
- On February 25, 2020, Ankit Sharma returned home from work before stepping out again during the violence. He never returned.
- His family searched for him after he went missing, before learning that his body had allegedly been dumped in a drain near Chand Bagh Pulia.
What happened to Ankit Sharma?
- According to PTI, Ankit went missing on February 25, 2020, amid widespread communal clashes in northeast Delhi.
- His body was recovered the following day from the Khajuri Khas drain near the Chand Bagh Pulia area.
- Sharma’s father, Ravinder Kumar, lodged an FIR accusing Tahir Hussain and others of murdering his son.
- As per PTI, the Delhi Police chargesheet alleged that Sharma was caught by a violent mob, dragged to Chand Bagh Pulia, attacked with sharp and blunt weapons, and his body was later thrown into the drain.
- The chargesheet further alleged that Hussain led and instigated the mob during the violence, claims that formed the basis of the prosecution’s case.
Probe and trial
- The Delhi Police Crime Branch filed its chargesheet on June 3, 2020, naming Tahir Hussain and several others.
- A Delhi court took cognisance of the chargesheet in August 2020.
- On March 24, 2023, charges including murder, rioting, promoting enmity and criminal conspiracy were framed against Hussain and the other accused.
According to PTI, on July 13, 2026, the court convicted Hussain of murder, promoting enmity and rioting-related offences, while acquitting him of criminal conspiracy and abetment charges. Four others were also convicted, while six accused were acquitted. The detailed judgment and sentencing are awaited.Who is Tahir Hussain?
- Tahir Hussain is a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor from northeast Delhi.
- He was an elected councillor at the time of the February 2020 riots.
- After his name surfaced in the Ankit Sharma murder case, the AAP suspended him from the party.
- During the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, Hussain contested the Mustafabad seat as an AIMIM candidate.
- He finished third in the constituency but secured 33,474 votes, making his candidature a major political talking point during the election campaign.
The 2020 Delhi riotsThe violence erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020 during protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).The clashes involved incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism.According to PTI, the riots claimed 53 lives and left scores of people injured, making them among the deadliest episodes of communal violence in the national capital in recent years.(With agency inputs)
