NEW DELHI: The killing of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots by AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others was motivated by “animus against Hindus,” a Delhi court said in its order convicting them.
It added that the convicts had a common object to commit rioting, loot, arson and to cause damage to the property and person of the members of the Hindu community.
Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh made the observations in the 350-page order passed on July 13 and made available on Tuesday, convicting Hussain, Nazim, Kasim, Javed and Anas.
He held that the unlawful assembly, of which the convicts were a part, had “surrounded, abducted, and brutally assaulted Sharma before murdering him.”
“The convicts were members of a large crowd and unlawful assembly which, with animus against Hindus, had assembled at Chand Bagh Pulia with a common object to commit rioting, loot, arson and to cause damage to the property and person of the members of the Hindu community,” the judge said.
He added that the members of this assembly knew that it was likely that in prosecution of the objects of this assembly, death could result and someone could be killed.
“It is further established that the members of this assembly had surrounded and dragged Ankit Sharma towards Chand Bagh Pulia and had thereby abducted him where after in a savage and relentless assault upon his person, had murdered him,” the judge said.
The judge convicted Hussain under various sections, including 188 (disobedience of a lawful order), 153A (promotion of enmity, hatred, or disharmony between different religious, racial, linguistic, or regional groups), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon), and 302 (murder).
The judge, however, acquitted him for Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 109 (abetment) read with 140 (impersonation of armed forces) of the Indian Penal Code.
The judge also discharged six accused, citing lack of sufficient evidence against them.
The complaint, filed by Ankit’s father Ravinder Kumar, claimed that his son—who was posted with the Intelligence Bureau—alleged that his son was murdered by Hussain and others. It said they had allegedly assembled at Hussain’s office, and Ankit’s body was disposed of after the murder.
Chain of events
Feb 17-23, 2020: Tensions flared up across parts of northeast Delhi amid protests over the CAA. Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh, etc., remained on the boil
Feb 24, 2020: Incidents of stone-pelting, arson and firing reported
Feb 25, 2020: IB officer Ankit Sharma stepped out to buy household items but didn’t return
Feb 26, 2020 After a search was launched, Sharma's body was recovered from a drain An autopsy report showed that he had sustained injuries inflicted from weapons.The victim's father, Ravinder Kumar, filed a complaint against Tahir Hussain and others
Feb 27, 2020: An SIT was set up by the police to investigate the case
March 2020: Hussain was arrested and searches were held at his home. Stones, acid packets, etc., found
June 2020: Delhi Police filed a chargesheet in the case
March 2023: Karkardooma Court framed charges against Hussain, 11 others for murder, rioting, etc
July 13, 2026: Karkardooma Court convicted Hussain and other accused
July 14, 2026: The 320-page order dated July 13 made available, says killing motivated by ‘animus against Hindus’