The Karkardooma Court on Friday sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain to life imprisonment for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the Northeast Delhi riots in February 2020.
The court described the crime as a "very serious incident" and observed that it had shaken society.
The Court noted, according to Live Law, that the crime was committed during the communal violence in North East Delhi and the manner in which it was committed was of utmost brutality, done solely on account of religion.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh pronounced the sentence to all five accused after hearing arguments on the quantum and said that the prosecution was not able to prove that the convicts are not beyond reformation.
Earlier, Delhi Police had sought death penalty for all five accused, saying they fell to the "level of being animals" while relentlessly assaulting Sharma.
Special public prosecutor Madhukar Pandey had submitted that Sharma was brutally killed and was not shown any mercy by the convicts, so they should not be given any leniency.
Those who are asking for mercy today should have shown mercy themselves. No mercy was shown from anyone's side. No one even took Ankit to the hospital. They are asking for mercy after committing such a brutal murder, Pandey had said.
The court on July 14 convicted Hussain and four others for the offence punishable under sections 302 (murder), and 147 (rioting) of the IPC among others.
Ankit Sharma was killed during the February 2020 riots, and his body was later recovered from a drain.
(With inputs from PTI)