DelhiRiotsVerdict – Court Holds Ankit Sharma Killing Driven by Anti-Hindu Motive
DelhiRiotsVerdict – A Delhi court has ruled that the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots was carried out by an unlawful assembly that acted with hostility towards the Hindu community. The judgment convicted former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others, concluding that the group shared a common objective of engaging in rioting, arson, looting and violence that ultimately resulted in Sharma’s death.
Court Details Findings in Conviction Order
The observations were made by Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh in a detailed judgment delivered on July 13 and released publicly on Tuesday. The court found Tahir Hussain, along with Nazim, Kasim, Javed and Anas, guilty in the case linked to the killing of the Intelligence Bureau officer during the communal violence that gripped northeast Delhi in February 2020.
According to the court, the convicted men were members of an unlawful gathering assembled near Chand Bagh Pulia. The judgment stated that the crowd had gathered with the shared intention of carrying out riots, damaging property, setting fires and targeting members of the Hindu community. The court further observed that those involved were aware that such actions could lead to fatalities.
Court Says Victim Was Dragged and Fatally Assaulted
The judgment stated that the mob surrounded Ankit Sharma, forcibly took him towards Chand Bagh Pulia and subjected him to a severe physical assault before killing him. The court held that the evidence established Sharma was abducted by members of the assembly and later murdered during the violence.
The judge concluded that the prosecution had successfully demonstrated the role of the convicted individuals in the sequence of events leading to Sharma’s death. The court relied on witness testimony, documentary material and other evidence presented during the trial while reaching its verdict.
Convictions Under Multiple IPC Provisions
Tahir Hussain was convicted under several provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including charges related to murder, rioting, promoting enmity between communities, armed rioting and disobeying a lawful order. However, the court acquitted him of charges connected to criminal conspiracy and abetment under specific IPC sections after finding insufficient grounds to sustain those allegations.
The court also granted relief to six other accused persons, ruling that the evidence presented against them did not meet the legal standard required for conviction.
Complaint Filed by Victim’s Father
The criminal case originated from a complaint filed by Ravinder Kumar, father of Ankit Sharma. He alleged that his son, who was serving with the Intelligence Bureau, had been killed by Tahir Hussain and several others during the riots. The complaint further claimed that the accused had gathered at Hussain’s office and that Sharma’s body was disposed of after the murder.
Investigators later examined these allegations as part of the broader inquiry into the violence that erupted across several areas of northeast Delhi.
Background of the 2020 Delhi Riots
Communal tensions escalated across neighbourhoods including Jaffrabad, Maujpur and Chand Bagh between February 17 and 23, 2020, amid protests related to the Citizenship Amendment Act. Violence intensified on February 24 with incidents of stone-pelting, arson and firing reported from multiple locations.
Ankit Sharma went missing on February 25 after leaving home to purchase household items. His body was recovered from a nearby drain the following day. The post-mortem examination recorded multiple injuries caused by sharp and blunt weapons.
A Special Investigation Team was constituted on February 27, 2020, to investigate the case. Tahir Hussain was arrested in March 2020, and investigators later filed a chargesheet in June that year. In March 2023, the Karkardooma Court framed charges against Hussain and several co-accused. The latest conviction marks a significant development in one of the most closely watched cases arising from the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.