New Delhi, 31 July (H.S.):

A Delhi court on Thursday sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and four others to life imprisonment in the 2020 Delhi riots case related to the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma. The Karkardooma Court also acquitted six accused in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh rejected the Delhi Police’s plea seeking the death penalty for the convicts, observing that there was scope for their reformation.

On July 13, the court had convicted Nazim, Qasim, Anas and Javed in the case. It also ordered the acquittal of Haseen alias Mullaji alias Salman, Mir Khan, Firoz, Javed, Gulfam, Shoaib Alam alias Bobby and Muntazim alias Musa.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet in the case on June 3, 2020. According to the charge sheet, on February 24 and 25, 2020, Tahir Hussain allegedly led a mob from his residence and a mosque near Chand Bagh Pulia, which later turned into a communal gathering. The charge sheet stated that a conspiracy was allegedly hatched to murder Ankit Sharma, who was specifically targeted by the mob allegedly led by Hussain.

The incident took place outside Tahir Hussain’s house in the Khajuri Khas area, where Ankit Sharma was allegedly attacked. After the murder, his body was thrown into a drain by the mob, according to the prosecution.

According to the police, some individuals were seen dumping the body into the drain. The post-mortem examination report of Ankit Sharma revealed 51 injury marks caused by a sharp-edged weapon, as stated by the prosecution.

The charge sheet alleged that Tahir Hussain instigated the mob in the Chand Bagh area and described him as the alleged mastermind of the conspiracy. A case was registered against him based on a complaint filed by Ankit Sharma’s father.

Tahir Hussain was booked under sections 302 (murder), 365 (kidnapping or abduction), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. Police also claimed that a large quantity of material allegedly used during the violence was recovered from his terrace.

The northeast Delhi riots in February 2020 resulted in the deaths of 53 people, while around 200 others were injured.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar