- Sessions court has sentenced Tahir Hussain to life in jail for the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots.
- The court described the murder's barbarity as "nauseatingly sickening", committed with "the utmost brutality" during communal violence linked to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- The court noted that the assault was "so fierce, unrelenting, and from such close quarters" that Sharma's body did not immediately collapse, and that the savagery continued after death: the body was "strapped like an animal", dragged to Chand Bagh Pulia, and thrown into the nala.
- Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh pronounced the sentence; the court called the murder "horrendous" and its barbarity "nauseatingly sickening", holding that the brutality was "an aggravating circumstance of immense magnitude" and tilted the case towards the "rarest of rare" category.
- The court declined capital punishment because it was not established that the convicts were beyond reformation; it said the death penalty is the last resort and noted that no specific act during the murder was proved against any individual convict.
- Delhi Police had sought the death penalty for all five convicts, arguing they descended "to the level of being animals"; Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey argued no mercy was shown and said: "No one even took Ankit to the hospital."
A Delhi court has sentenced former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots. The court characterized the killing as "nauseatingly sickening" and among the "rarest of rare" crimes due to its extreme brutality.12567
The court noted that the murder occurred amid communal violence triggered by protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Sharma was attacked by a mob solely based on his religion, with the court stating, "The victim was sucked in by the murderous mob, baying for blood, solely on account of his religion."
The assault was described as "so fierce, unrelenting, and from such close quarters" that Sharma's body did not immediately collapse after he was killed. The court further detailed the gruesome aftermath, stating, "The body of the victim was strapped like an animal and dragged to Chand Bagh Pulia. As if the hatred had still not been satiated, the dead body was thereafter thrown into the nala."34
Despite the brutality, the court declined to impose the death penalty, stating that the convicts could not be considered beyond reformation. Judge Praveen Singh emphasized that the death penalty is a last resort, noting, "I am unable to agree with the Special Public Prosecutor that the convicts are beyond reformation."8910
Hussain was convicted under multiple sections of the IPC, including murder and rioting, while six co-accused were acquitted. The court's decision comes after a violent episode in February 2020 that left 53 dead and many injured.
The court's ruling reflects the ongoing struggle with communal violence in India, highlighting the need for justice in cases marked by extreme brutality.
“The court declined capital punishment, saying the convicts were not beyond reformation and that the death penalty is the last resort. Delhi Police had sought death for all five convicts, arguing they descended 'to the level of being animals'.”
