Delhi Court Sentences Former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain to Life for IB Officer’s Murder

New Delhi, July 2026 : A Delhi court has sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain to life imprisonment for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, while the victim’s family has expressed disappointment over the court’s decision not to impose the death penalty.

Reacting to the verdict, Ankit Sharma’s brother, Ankur Sharma, said the family had sought capital punishment, arguing that the crime qualified as a “rarest of rare” case. He said the family would continue to pursue the matter if the case is taken up by the Delhi High Court or the Supreme Court.

According to Ankur Sharma, the court has delivered justice by holding Hussain guilty, but the punishment should have been more severe. He also appealed to political parties to support the family’s demand for the death penalty at the higher judicial levels.

The Karkardooma Court described Sharma’s killing as brutal and noted that his body was dragged and thrown into a nearby drain after the attack. While observing that the crime had characteristics that could bring it close to the “rarest of rare” category, the court concluded that the stringent legal requirements for awarding capital punishment had not been fulfilled.

The court also noted that there was no conclusive evidence establishing Hussain’s individual role in the fatal assault and that the possibility of his reformation could not be completely ruled out. On these grounds, it opted for life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.

The prosecution case relates to the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi on February 25, 2020. According to the prosecution, Sharma was surrounded by a mob while attempting to defuse tensions during the riots. He was allegedly attacked with knives, sticks, iron rods and stones.

His body was recovered from a drain the following day and was reported to have sustained 51 stab wounds, underscoring the brutality of the attack.

Hussain’s lawyer, however, maintained that his client was merely present at the location and had not directly participated in the murder.

Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra welcomed the court’s verdict but expressed hope that a higher court would eventually enhance the sentence to capital punishment.

The verdict marks a significant development in one of the most closely watched cases arising from the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. While Hussain will serve a life sentence following the trial court’s ruling, the victim’s family has indicated that the legal battle is likely to continue, particularly over the question of whether the circumstances of Sharma’s killing warrant the death penalty.