Five people, including former AAP MLA Tahir Hussain, were convicted of murder and rioting in the IB officer Ankit Sharma murder case during the 2020 Delhi riots, while acquitted on conspiracy charges.
New Delhi: That month of February 2020 became such a black spot in the history of Delhi, which can never be erased. The fire of hatred that broke out in the name of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) had turned North-East Delhi into a crematorium. In areas like Chand Bagh, Mustafabad and Khajuri Khas, amidst burning vehicles, rain of stones and echoing bullets, such a horrific incident was carried out which put the entire humanity to shame. This story of a young Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer, who became a victim of this riot, is still giving goosebumps. Whose loyalty was rewarded in the form of death.
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That scene of fear: When a brave man came out with the message of peace
That evening of 25 February 2020 was very cold and scary. 26 year old young IB officer Ankit Sharma had returned home after completing his duty. There was shouting all around outside the house and the smell of gunpowder was in the air. Considering the sensitivity of the situation, Ankit, as a responsible officer, could not remain silent. According to eyewitnesses, he had come out of the house to pacify the angry mob in his area and convince the people. But Ankit was completely unaware that he was directly stepping into the trap of death. A few steps away, near the house of then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councilor and leader Tahir Hussain and a local mosque, rioters armed with weapons were standing ready to commit a massacre.
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Dead body found in drain: Those 51 wounds that shook the soul of the entire country
As soon as Ankit Sharma reached near the violent mob, the rioters surrounded him from all sides. Before he could try to retreat, the miscreants caught hold of him and dragged him inside Tahir Hussain’s house. What happened next gives goosebumps just imagining it. The next day, i.e. on 26 February, Ankit’s father Ravinder Kumar (himself a former police officer) reached near a drain in search of his missing son. With the help of local people and divers, a mutilated body was taken out from the mud of the drain – it was Ankit’s body. When the post mortem report came out, even the doctors’ hands trembled. Ankit’s body was brutally attacked 51 times with knives and sharp weapons. The rioters had punctured his lungs and brain to such an extent that he died on the spot due to excessive bleeding. The body was thrown into the drain to hide the identity and destroy evidence.
Shocking decision of the court: 5 including Tahir Hussain were held guilty
Six years after this heinous massacre, the court has brought the characters of this bloody game to their end. A local court in Delhi has convicted five people – Javed, Anas, Nazim and Qasim – including key accused and former AAP leader Tahir Hussain, of murder of Ankit Sharma and instigating riots. During the hearing, the court found the prosecution’s claims to be true that Tahir Hussain had instigated the mob from the rooftop of his house and raised slogans like “don’t spare them”. However, the court acquitted them of the charges of criminal conspiracy and released six other people due to lack of evidence. This decision may have given legal solace to the victim’s family, but the pain of 51 wounds is still buried in the heart of Delhi.