New Delhi: A Delhi court has sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four co-convicts to life imprisonment for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. The verdict marks a significant development in one of the most closely watched cases arising from the communal violence that claimed several lives and left hundreds injured.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh pronounced the sentence after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence on the quantum of punishment. While the Delhi Police had sought the death penalty, describing the killing as a “rarest of rare” crime, the court held that the prosecution had not established that the convicts were beyond the possibility of reform. Consequently, the court awarded life imprisonment instead of capital punishment.
The sentencing was delivered in the physical presence of Tahir Hussain and the other convicts amid heightened security at the Karkardooma Court complex. Senior Delhi Police officials, including officers from the Crime Branch, were present during the proceedings.
Earlier this month, the court had found Hussain and four others guilty in connection with the murder of Ankit Sharma, who was serving as an Intelligence Bureau officer at the time of his death during the riots that engulfed parts of Northeast Delhi in February 2020.
During the sentencing hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey argued that the murder was exceptionally brutal and premeditated. He told the court that Sharma sustained 51 injuries, of which seven were sufficient to cause death. According to the prosecution, the victim was surrounded by a mob, subjected to a prolonged assault, dragged with a cloth allegedly tied around his neck, and his body was later thrown into a drain instead of being taken for medical assistance.
The prosecution also argued that Tahir Hussain, who was an elected municipal councillor and public servant at the time, had a responsibility to protect citizens rather than participate in or facilitate acts of violence. Citing witness testimonies and forensic evidence, the prosecution urged the court to impose the death penalty, contending that the nature of the crime warranted the maximum punishment under law.
The defence, however, opposed the plea for capital punishment. Senior advocate Rajiv Mohan, appearing for Hussain, argued that the death penalty should not be imposed in every murder case and that the court must consider mitigating circumstances. He further submitted that the prosecution had failed to prove any criminal conspiracy involving Hussain or establish a specific role directly linking him to the fatal assault.
After considering the submissions of both sides, the court concluded that the threshold for awarding the death penalty had not been met. The life sentence reflects the court’s view that the prosecution had not demonstrated that the convicts were incapable of reform.
The murder of Ankit Sharma became one of the defining cases linked to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, drawing widespread public and legal attention. The sentencing underscores the trial court’s firm adjudication in accordance with law, with any further remedies available to the convicts to be pursued before the appropriate higher judicial forum.
