Delhi court gives Tahir Hussain life sentence

A court in New Delhi on Friday sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Tahir

A court in New Delhi on Friday sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Tahir Hussain to life imprisonment for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots.

The verdict was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh after the court found Hussain guilty in the high-profile murder case linked to the communal violence that erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020.

The court also awarded life imprisonment to four other convicts found guilty in the same case. All five were held responsible for the killing of Ankit Sharma, whose death became one of the most widely discussed incidents of the riots.

According to the prosecution, Sharma was attacked and killed during the violence that broke out in northeast Delhi, where clashes between rival groups resulted in widespread destruction, loss of life and damage to public and private property.

The 2020 Delhi riots lasted several days and claimed dozens of lives while leaving hundreds of people injured. The violence triggered multiple criminal investigations, with police registering several cases against individuals accused of involvement in killings, arson and rioting.

Tahir Hussain was elected as a municipal councillor from northeast Delhi on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket in 2017. He was considered a prominent local political figure before the riots.

Following his arrest in connection with multiple cases related to the 2020 violence, the Aam Aadmi Party suspended him from the party. Since then, Hussain has remained at the centre of several legal proceedings arising from the riots.

Friday’s judgment marks a significant development in one of the most prominent cases linked to the 2020 Delhi violence. The court concluded that Hussain and the four co-convicts were responsible for the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma and imposed life imprisonment as punishment.

The ruling is expected to remain one of the most significant judicial decisions connected to the 2020 Delhi riots, which continue to have legal and political implications in India.