Delhi Riots: High Court Seeks Police Response On Tahir Hussain's Plea Against Conviction In Ankit Sharma Murder Case
Nupur Thapliyal
2 Sept 2026 11:06 AM IST
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice on an appeal preferred by former Aam Aadmi Party Councillor Tahir Hussain challenging his conviction for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.
A division bench comprising Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan called for the nominal roll and sought response of the Delhi Police.
Advocate Rajiv Mohan appearing for Hussain told the Court that Hussain was convicted for only one substantive offence. He submitted that for all other offences, Hussain has been convicted only for aiding and abetting.
He also said that one evidence (regarding statement of a prosecution witness relied upon by trial court) was wrongly appreciated in the impugned order.
SPP Rajat Nair along with Advocate Dhruv Pande appeared for Delhi Police. Nair said that the State would like to argue Hussain's appeal, along with similar appeals filed by two other convicts.
“All connected matters are coming on December 02. We will assess the roles separately. It will save judicial time if it will be heard together,” the Court said, noting that a young life was lost in the case.
“Admit. Issue notice. Call for nominal roll. List along with connected appeals on December 02,” it ordered.
Hussain has challenged the trial court order passed on July 31 sentencing him to life imprisonment in the case. He was convicted in the case on July 13 for offences under Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 153A (Promoting enmity between groups), 147, 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 365 (abducting) and 302 (murder) of IPC.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of Karkardooma Courts had also sentenced other convicts, namely Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim, to life imprisonment.
While pronouncing the order, the Trial Court noted 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.
The judge had said the deceased's body was dragged like animal till Chandbagh pulia and was thereafter thrown in the drain. The barbarity committed is nauseating and sickening, the judge added.
Even though the State sought death penalty for convicts, the Trial Court said that prosecution did not bring anything on record that there was any violent disposition or propensity to the crime on part of the five convicts.
The FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint made by the deceased's father. He had lodged a missing report when his son went missing during the riots. Ankit's body was later recovered from a drain. He was declared as brought dead by GTB hospital.
The post-mortem report of the deceased Ankit Sharma revealed that there were 51 injuries caused due to sharp edged weapons and blunt force.
Title: Tahir Hussain v. State
