A Delhi court has sentenced former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others to life imprisonment for the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots. Calling it a “very serious incident”, the court said the brutal crime had shaken the society.
A Delhi court on Friday sentenced former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four other convicts to life imprisonment in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma, who was brutally killed during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. While declining the prosecution’s plea for the death penalty, the court described the crime as one of “utmost brutality”, committed solely on religious grounds, and said the barbarity displayed was “nauseating and sickening”.
The Karkardooma court awarded life imprisonment to Tahir Hussain, Nazim, Qasim, Javed and Anas, all of whom were convicted earlier this month for murder, criminal conspiracy and other serious offences.
Reacting to the verdict, Tahir Hussain said he would challenge the conviction before the Delhi High Court, expressing confidence that he would get justice there. “We will go to the High Court. We will get justice from the High Court,” Hussain said after the sentencing.
He also alleged that the trial was “a fixed match”, saying, “Ye match fixed tha. Insaaf milega toh High Court se milega. (This match was fixed. If I get justice, it will be from the High Court.)”
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta welcomed the verdict, calling it a victory for justice and saying the life sentence reinforced public faith in the rule of law and the judiciary. In a post on X, she targeted the Aam Aadmi Party, alleging that its leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, had stood by Tahir Hussain after his arrest, and demanded that the former chief minister explain his party’s support for the ex-councillor during the riots’ investigation.
COURT CALLS CRIME BRUTAL, SAYS IT SHOOK SOCIETY
While pronouncing the sentence, the court described the crime as “very serious” and observed that the incident had shaken the conscience of society. It said the manner in which the events unfolded forced society to reflect on the brutality witnessed during the communal violence.
The judge noted that the murder was committed during the communal riots in northeast Delhi and that the offence was carried out with “utmost brutality” solely on account of the victim’s religion. “The manner in which the crime was committed was of utmost brutality, done solely on the ground of religion,” the court observed.
Referring to the treatment of the victim’s body, the court said Ankit Sharma’s body was dragged “like that of an animal” up to Chand Bagh Pulia before being thrown into a drain. “The barbarity committed is nauseating and sickening,” the court remarked.
WHY THE COURT REJECTED THE DEATH PENALTY
During the sentencing hearing, Delhi Police sought the death penalty for Tahir Hussain and the other convicts, arguing that the case fell within the “rarest of rare” category.
The court, however, held that the prosecution had not placed any material on record to establish that the five convicts had a violent disposition or a continuing propensity to commit crimes. It also noted that none of them had any previous criminal record.
The judge observed that the convicts could be disciplined and made to follow the rule of law. The court further said that although there is no legal bar on imposing the death penalty, such punishment requires circumstances beyond participation in an unlawful assembly and commission of the offence.
DEFENCE TO CHALLENGE VERDICT
Following the sentencing, advocate Abdul Gaffar Khan, who represented one of the co-accused, said an appeal would be filed before the higher court.
“I cannot speak for Mr Tahir Hussain, as I was not representing him; he was a co-accused in this matter. However, for the accused I represent, we will certainly file an appeal; we intend to do so within a week,” Khan said.
KAPIL MISHRA SEEKS DEATH PENALTY IN APPEAL
Reacting to the verdict, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra said the life sentence marked only the beginning of justice and expressed hope that the punishment would be enhanced by the High Court.
In a post on X, Mishra said, “Life imprisonment for Tahir Hussain is the beginning of justice. The manner in which Ankit Sharma was killed, and the fact that his body was repeatedly stabbed even after his death before being thrown into a drain, certainly makes this a ‘rarest of rare’ case.”
ताहिर हुसैन को उम्रकैद न्याय की शुरुआत है
जिस निर्ममता से मासूम, निहत्थे अंकित शर्मा जी की हत्या की गई थी ये Rarest of Rare case है
दिल्ली दंगों में सुनियोजित तरीके से हिंदुओं के खिलाफ हिंसा की गई, आशा करता हूँ जब ये मामला हाइकोर्ट में जाएगा तब ये उम्रकैद फांसी में बदली जाएगी pic.twitter.com/EvxgjBgNOe
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) July 31, 2026
He added that he hoped the High Court would convert the life sentence into capital punishment.
