In a significant verdict in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots case, a Delhi court on Monday convicted former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma. However, the court dropped the charge of criminal conspiracy against Hussain.
The verdict was delivered by the Karkardooma Court in one of the most closely watched cases arising out of the communal violence that rocked Northeast Delhi in February 2020.
Besides Tahir, four others have been convicted in the case, including Nazim, Qasim, Anas and Javed. The court, however, acquitted six other accused in the case due to lack of sufficient evidence.
Ankit Sharma was found dead in a drain during the riots
IB officer Ankit Sharma was brutally killed during the February 2020 riots in Northeast Delhi. His body was later recovered from a nearby drain, sparking widespread outrage across the country.
The case was registered at Dayalpur Police Station on the complaint of Sharma's father. Apart from Tahir Hussain, 10 other accused were named in the case.
Charges filed under multiple IPC sections
The Delhi Police filed a chargesheet against the accused under several provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 109 (abetment), 114, 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 436 (mischief by fire), 153A (promoting enmity), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 365 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention).
While the court convicted Tahir Hussain in the murder case, it acquitted him of the charge under Section 120B relating to criminal conspiracy. Sentencing is expected to follow after further proceedings.
About 2020 Delhi riots
The 2020 Delhi riots erupted between February 23 and 26 in northeast Delhi amid tensions surrounding protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Violence broke out between groups of protesters and counter-protesters, later escalating into widespread communal clashes, arson, stone-pelting and gunfire.
The unrest left 53 people dead and more than 500 injured, while homes, shops, schools and places of worship were damaged or destroyed.
Police registered numerous cases and arrested several individuals from different groups. Multiple investigations and court proceedings have followed, with some convictions, acquittals and trials continuing, making the riots one of Delhi's deadliest episodes in recent decades.
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