Delhi Police Seek Death Penalty for Tahir Hussain, 4 Others in Ankit Sharma Murder Case
The Delhi Police on Monday sought the death penalty for former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and four other convicts in the 2020 murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma. Arguments were presented before Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh at Karkardooma Courts in Delhi, where the court reserved its order on sentencing for July 31.
Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey argued that the crime was exceptionally brutal, describing it as a cold-blooded killing that qualifies as a rarest of rare case warranting capital punishment. The prosecution informed the court that the victim sustained 51 injuries, including 18 caused by sharp-edged weapons, reflecting the intent and severity of the attack.
The prosecution noted that the assault continued even after Sharma had died. Urging the court to treat the offense with the utmost severity, the police requested the maximum punishment under the law.
Counsel appearing for Hussain opposed the plea for capital punishment. The defence submitted that while the trial court's judgment established the presence of a mob at the scene, it did not attribute a specific role to each convict sufficient to justify the death penalty.
The case stems from an FIR registered at Dayalpur police station based on a complaint filed by Sharma’s father. Sharma had gone missing after leaving home to buy groceries during the 2020 riots. His body was later recovered from a drain near Chand Bagh Pulia, and he was declared brought dead at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. In his complaint, Sharma's father named Hussain and others.
During the trial, which lasted over six years, the prosecution examined 91 witnesses and relied on eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence, and call detail records to establish its case. In March 2023, the trial court framed charges against 11 accused, including Hussain, for rioting, murder, abduction, criminal conspiracy, and promoting enmity.
Five of the accused were convicted on July 14, 2026. Alongside Hussain, the four other convicts facing sentencing are Nazim, Kasim, Javed, and Anas.
