2020 Delhi riots: Ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain convicted in IB staffer’s murder

3 min readUpdated: Jul 13, 2026 08:11 PM IST

The complaint against Tahir Hussain (left) alleged that rioters operating from his building had executed the attack against Ankit Sharma. (Express File)

Six years after Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma (26) was killed during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, a Delhi court Monday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Councillor Tahir Hussain and four others in the case.

Hussain, who was suspended by the AAP soon after the incident, has been convicted of murder and rioting, among other charges. He was, however, acquitted of the criminal conspiracy charge.

The other four — Nazim, Qasim, Javed, Anas — have been convicted under the same charges except murder.

The court, however, acquitted Haseen, Firoz, Gulfam, Soyab, Sameer Khan and Muntajim in the case.

A detailed order is awaited.

Hussain has been convicted of murder and rioting, among other charges. (Archive Photo)

On February 25, 2020, Ankit went missing after he left his house in Chand Bagh to fetch household supplies. Police claimed he was dragged away by a violent mob and brutally murdered, and his body dumped in a drain.

He was stabbed 52 times, according to the police.

His body was retrieved from the drain the next morning. He was among the 53 who lost their lives in the communal violence.

An FIR was registered on February 26, 2020, based on a complaint by Ankit’s father, Ravinder Kumar, who named Hussain as an accused, alleging that rioters operating from his building had executed the attack.

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The Delhi Police had first arrested Hussain as one of the accused. Later, nine others were arrested.

Police had said a witness captured from his terrace a video of the attack on his mobile phone; in the video, a group was seen dumping the body in the drain. The post-mortem revealed “51 sharp and blunt injuries” on Ankit’s body, according to the police.

Police also claimed there was a “deep-rooted conspiracy” behind the murder of Ankit, who was a “familiar face” in the area.

Hussain was also booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the ‘larger conspiracy case’ of the 2020 riots, as well as in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate.

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According to the Delhi Police Special Cell which is investigating the UAPA case, Hussain allegedly played the role of a “conspirator” in the riots and the terrace of his building was allegedly used by rioters to throw stones and petrol bombs. He was called a key local player by the Special Cell with considerable mass support who aided the “conspiracy”.

Hussain has spent over five years in jail.

The Delhi Police had filed a 650-page chargesheet in June 2020. In March 2023, a Sessions Judge at Karkardooma Court formally framed criminal charges against Hussain and 10 other co-accused.

Ankit Sharma Murder Case: A Timeline

Feb 25, 2020 Disappearance & Murder

Sharma went missing outside his house in Chand Bagh after leaving to fetch household supplies. Per eyewitnesses and the police probe, he was dragged away by a violent mob and brutally murdered.

Feb 26, 2020 Body Recovered

His body was retrieved from a nearby drain the next morning.

Feb 26, 2020 FIR Lodged

FIR formally registered.

June 3, 2020 Chargesheet Filed

Delhi Police Crime Branch filed a 650+ page chargesheet in Karkardooma Court, naming 10 individuals, including Hussain as the main conspirator behind a "deep-rooted conspiracy" to target and eliminate the IB staffer.

March 23, 2023 Charges Framed

A Sessions Judge at Karkardooma Court formally framed criminal charges against Hussain and 10 other co-accused, establishing prima facie evidence for trial under IPC sections including murder, criminal conspiracy, rioting, and promoting enmity between religious groups.

Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023.

Professional Background

Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University.

Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories.

Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts.

Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials.

Recent notable articles

In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories.

1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.

2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation.

3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police.

Signature Style

Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public.

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