A New Delhi court convicted former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and four others on Monday for the murder of Ankit Sharma [1].
The verdict brings a legal conclusion to one of the most high-profile deaths resulting from the communal violence that gripped North-East Delhi in 2020. The victim, Sharma, was a staffer for the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
The Karkardooma Court delivered the ruling on July 13, 2026 [1]. The court found the defendants guilty of murder and several related offences tied to the riots [2]. According to the ruling, the accused were convicted under sections 188, 153A, 147, 148, 149, 365, and 302 of the Indian Penal Code [2].
The case centered on the events of the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, where Sharma was killed during the unrest. While some reports initially indicated five co-accused, the court convicted Hussain and four other individuals [1].
This conviction follows a period of legal anticipation. Earlier this year, on June 11, 2024, the court had deferred its verdict in the case [3]. The final decision on Monday marks the end of the trial phase for these specific defendants.
"The court convicted former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others in the murder case of IB officer Ankit Sharma," PTI said [1].
“The accused were found guilty under sections 188, 153A, 147, 148, 149, 365, and 302 of the IPC.”
The conviction of a former political official in a case involving the death of a federal intelligence officer underscores the judicial effort to assign individual accountability for the 2020 Delhi riots. By applying a range of IPC sections, including those related to rioting and kidnapping, the court has established a legal record of coordinated violence rather than isolated incidents.
