A Delhi court on Friday sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party leader Tahir Hussain and four others to life imprisonment in connection with the 2020 murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the northeast Delhi riots.
The Karkardooma Court had on July 13 convicted Hussain, Nazim, Kasim, Javed and Anas on charges including murder and criminal conspiracy in connection with Sharma's killing.
During the sentencing hearing, Delhi Police sought the death penalty for Hussain and the other convicts, arguing that the case fell within the "rarest of rare" category. The court, however, awarded life imprisonment.
Charges against Tahir Hussain
The court convicted Hussain on charges of promoting enmity, rioting, assault, use of criminal force, criminal conspiracy and the murder of Ankit Sharma during the riots.
Hussain had been suspended by the AAP soon after an FIR was registered against him. Following the verdict, the party reiterated that it had severed all ties with him after his suspension.
The brutal killing of Ankit Sharma
According to the prosecution, Hussain and the co-convicts were part of an unlawful assembly that abducted and murdered Sharma during the communal violence.
The case was registered on February 26, 2020, based on a complaint filed by Sharma's father, Ravinder Kumar. In his complaint, Kumar said his son returned home from work on February 25 before stepping out again around 5 pm to buy household items. When Sharma failed to return, the family searched nearby areas and hospitals before filing a missing person's report the following morning.
Sharma's body was later recovered from a nearby drain. Prosecutors told the court that parts of his body, including his face, had been burned with acid in an alleged attempt to conceal his identity.
The case became one of the most high-profile investigations arising out of the riots.
Tahir Hussain's reaction to life sentence
Reacting to the verdict, Tahir Hussain said he would challenge his conviction before the Delhi High Court, expressing confidence that he would receive justice.
"We will move the High Court. We will get justice there," Hussain told reporters after being sentenced.
Alleging that the trial was unfair, Hussain claimed it was a "fixed match". "The match was fixed. If I get justice, it will be from the High Court," he said.
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