Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Tahir Hussain was jailed in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma on Monday in one of a clutch of cases stemming from the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
The court found Hussain liable for killing Ankit Sharma, the body of whom was found in a drain during communal violence in north-east Delhi, which resulted in the death of several people and widespread destruction.
The prosecution had accused Hussain of being a member of an unlawful assembly which had participated in the killings, that led to Sharma’s killer being slain. Throughout the trial, the court heard the evidence from the witnesses, the forensic evidence and other evidence presented to the court by the prosecution before reaching its verdict.
Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma, aged 26, was found dead with multiple injuries in the wake of riots. His death was one of the most talked about events of the violence and led to a long investigation into the crime.
Tahir Hussain has consistently denied the allegations stating that he has been wrongly implicated in the case. He is likely to challenge the conviction at a higher court following his sentencing.
The amount of the penalty will be determined in a later trial, following an argument by both prosecution and defence regarding a penalty.
The conviction is a major step towards the trial of several cases associated with the violence that erupted during the 2020 Delhi riots. A verdict with legal and political ramifications is expected as Hussain had previously been affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party.