New Delhi, September 2: The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Delhi Police on Wednesday regarding the appeal filed by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain. He is challenging his conviction and life sentence for the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.
A bench comprising Justice Pratibha M. Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan stated that Hussain’s appeal would be heard alongside those of two other convicted individuals.
During the proceedings, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Rajat Nair represented the Delhi Police, expressing the prosecution’s desire for a joint hearing of Hussain’s appeal with those of the other convicts.
Justice M. Singh’s bench noted, “All related cases are scheduled for December 2. We will assess the roles separately. Hearing the appeals together will save the court’s time.”
The High Court ordered, “Notice to be issued. Nominal roll to be summoned. List with related appeals on December 2.”
This case emerged when Tahir Hussain approached the High Court against his sentence. Previously, convicts Nazim and Qasim had also appealed their sentences in the Delhi High Court.
The Karkardooma Court had found Tahir Hussain and four others (Javed, Anas, Nazim, and Qasim) guilty of Ankit Sharma’s murder, sentencing them to life imprisonment. The trial court had convicted all five.
However, the court acquitted the five convicts of criminal conspiracy charges and also exonerated six other accused, stating that the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The Delhi Police had previously informed the High Court that they are in the process of challenging the acquittal of the six accused.
While sentencing, Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh described the crime as a “very serious” incident, stating that Ankit Sharma was “brutally murdered” and his body was left “like an animal,” which shook the conscience of society.
The Delhi Police sought the death penalty for Tahir Hussain and the other convicts, describing Ankit Sharma’s murder as “premeditated” and “brutal,” citing the 51 wounds found on his body.
However, the defense opposed the demand for capital punishment, arguing that the case does not fall under the “rarest of rare” category.
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