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2020 Delhi riots IB officer murder: Police seek death for Tahir Hussain, other convicts

2 min readUpdated: Jul 27, 2026 04:08 PM IST

2020 riots IB Officer murder case: The Delhi Police demanded the death penalty for all convicts before a Delhi court. It stated stated that the nature of the crime was heinous and brutal and that it was a cold-blooded murder.

Six years after Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma (26) was killed during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, a Delhi court on July 13 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.

Delhi Police said that this is a case where the criminals turned into animals. Delhi Police stated that Ankit Sharma was brutally tortured. There were 51 injuries, 7 of which were fatal on their own, and 16 were inflicted with sharp-edged weapons. The choice of weapons demonstrates the nature of the crime, they argued.

On the other hand, Tahir Hussain’s counsel opposed the demand for death penalty. They stated that death penalty should only be given in the rarest of rare cases.

Tahir Hussain’s counsel said that the punishment of death cannot be determined merely on the basis of the injuries sustained. They also cited the good conduct of Hussain

Tahir Hussain counsel stated that the provision for the death penalty does not apply to every case. The court had recorded the statements of 91 witnesses, after which only 6 out of 11 accused were convicted by the court.

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Tahir Hussain’s counsel said that throughout the entire trial, no evidence of criminal conspiracy (under IPC Section 120B) was presented before the court.

Tahir Hussain’s counsel said that the police themselves were unable to control the violent mob, and in such a situation, a single individual cannot be held responsible for the murder.

 

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.
X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 … Read More

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