Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh, who was hearing the case against 11 accused, convicted Tahir Hussain along with Nazim, Kasim, Javed and Anas. Hussain was found guilty under legal provisions related to murder, promoting enmity between different religious groups, rioting and assault or criminal force used to dishonour a person. However, the charge of criminal conspiracy against him was dropped.
According to reports from inside the courtroom, Hussain broke down and was seen crying after the verdict was announced.
The case originated from a First Information Report registered at Dayalpur Police Station by Ravinder Kumar, father of Ankit Sharma.
According to the complaint, Sharma, an Intelligence Bureau officer, returned home from work on February 25, 2020, before leaving again. When he did not return, his family started searching for him.
Later, local residents informed the family that Sharma had been killed and his body had been thrown into the Khajuri Khas drain near a mosque in the Chand Bagh Pulia area. His body was subsequently recovered from the drain.
In his complaint, Ravinder Kumar alleged that Sharma was murdered by then Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and others. He claimed that the accused had gathered at Hussain's office before the murder and later disposed of the body.
FIVE CONVICTED, SIX ACQUITTED
Along with Hussain, the court convicted Nazim, Kasim, Javed and Anas. Six other accused were acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence against them.
The 11 accused in the case were Tahir Hussain, Haseen alias Mullaji alias Salman, Nazim, Kasim, Sameer Khan, Anas, Firoz, Javed, Gulfam, Shoaib Alam alias Bobby and Muntajim alias Musa.
On March 24, 2023, the court framed charges against all 11 accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting, rioting with deadly weapons, promoting enmity between groups, murder and criminal conspiracy.
Hussain also faced additional charges related to abetment and statements leading to public mischief.
CASE LINKED TO 2020 DELHI RIOTS
The murder took place during the communal violence that erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020 amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The clashes, which involved incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism, resulted in the deaths of 53 people and injuries to several others, becoming one of the deadliest episodes of violence in the national capital in recent years.
The conviction in the Ankit Sharma murder case marks a significant development in the legal proceedings related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, while the court's acquittal of six accused highlights the requirement of sufficient evidence for criminal conviction.
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