Delhi HC Seeks Police Response on Tahir Hussain's Challenge to Ankit Sharma Murder Conviction

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Delhi Police on an appeal filed by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, challenging his conviction and life sentence in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma during the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

A division bench comprising Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan admitted Hussain's appeal and issued notice to the police. The matter has been listed for hearing on December 2, along with appeals filed by other convicts in the case.

Tahir Hussain Challenges Conviction and Life Sentence

Hussain has challenged the trial court's judgment convicting and sentencing him in connection with Sharma's murder.

In his appeal, Hussain has argued that the investigation was conducted with the objective of implicating him and satisfying public anger. His legal challenge seeks to overturn the findings and sentence imposed by the trial court.

Hussain's counsel also raised arguments concerning the manner in which evidence was appreciated by the trial court. The defence submitted that one of the prosecution witnesses' statements had been wrongly assessed while arriving at the conviction.

High Court Calls for Police Response

The High Court has asked the Delhi Police to respond to Hussain's appeal.

The court also directed the jail authorities to place Hussain's nominal roll on record and called for the records of the trial court proceedings.

The police will now present its response as the High Court considers the grounds raised in Hussain's appeal. The case is scheduled to come up again on December 2.

Ankit Sharma Murder Case

According to the prosecution case, Ankit Sharma went missing on February 25, 2020, amid the communal violence in northeast Delhi.

Sharma's father, Ravinder Kumar, reported him missing at Dayalpur police station the following day. His body was subsequently recovered from a drain in the Khajuri Khas area.

The murder case was investigated as part of the broader cases arising from the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020.

Five Convicted and Sentenced to Life

A trial court at Karkardooma convicted Tahir Hussain and four others — Nazim, Qasim, Javed and Anas — in the murder case on July 13.

On July 31, the court sentenced all five convicts to life imprisonment. The trial court rejected the prosecution's plea for the death penalty, holding that although the crime was extremely brutal, the prosecution had not established the required grounds for imposing capital punishment.

Hussain has now approached the High Court seeking relief against his conviction and sentence.

Connected Appeals Also Before Delhi HC

Hussain's appeal is not the only challenge arising from the case.

The Delhi High Court is also dealing with appeals filed by other convicts. These matters have been clubbed for hearing on December 2, allowing the court to consider the connected challenges together.

Defence Raises Investigation Concerns

Hussain's appeal has questioned the investigation and the evidence relied upon by the trial court.

The defence has alleged that the investigation was aimed at implicating Hussain to address public anger following the riots. These are allegations made in the appeal and will be considered by the High Court as the proceedings progress.

The police, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to respond to the grounds raised by Hussain.

2020 Delhi Riots Case Remains Under Judicial Review

The Ankit Sharma murder case is among several criminal proceedings arising from the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020.

The High Court's decision to entertain Hussain's appeal marks another stage in the judicial proceedings surrounding the case. The court has not yet ruled on the merits of his challenge.

The next significant hearing is scheduled for December 2, when the court is expected to consider Hussain's appeal along with the connected matters.