Delhi court gives life term to Tahir Hussain; victim's family pushes for death sentence

The Delhi judiciary handed former AAP councilor Tahir Hussain a life imprisonment sentence for the killing of IB officer Ankit Sharma amid the 2020 North‑East Delhi riots. The Sharma family has openly called for a death sentence, arguing that the crime was among the "rarest of cases" and deserved the severest punishment.

Ankur Sharma, brother of the slain officer, voiced his frustration, stating that the court's decision was a disappointment. He announced that the family will continue to fight the verdict in higher courts, including the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, and urged all political parties to ensure that a death penalty is imposed on appeal.

The trial court described the murder as "cruel" after confirming that Sharma's body was dragged into a nearby drain following the assault. Nevertheless, the judges concluded that the legal prerequisites for a death penalty were not fully satisfied, citing insufficient concrete evidence of Hussain's direct involvement and the possibility of his reform.

Prosecutors detailed that on February 25, 2020, a mob surrounded Sharma, beating him with knives, sticks, iron rods and stones, resulting in 51 stab wounds. The victim's body was recovered from a drain the following day.