Former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain has been convicted in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma. (File Photo)A Delhi court on Monday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Councillor Tahir Hussain and four others in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma (26) during the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. Six others have been acquitted.Hussain has been convicted under Indian Penal Code sections of murder, disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, promoting enmity, rioting, rioting with a deadly weapon and unlawful assembly. He was, however, acquitted of the criminal conspiracy charge.A detailed order is awaited.During the riots, Sharma was brutally murdered by a mob in Chand Bagh and his body was dumped in a drain. He was among the 53 who lost their lives in the communal violence. Police had said Sharma was stabbed 52 times.The FIR was registered at the Dayalpur police station on February 26, 2020. The complaint was filed by Sharma’s father, Ravinder Kumar, who named Hussain as an accused, alleging that rioters operating from his building had executed the attack.The Delhi Police had first arrested Hussain as one of the accused. Later, nine others were arrested in connection with the case.The murder took place on the evening of February 25, 2020.As per the police, a witness standing on a terrace had captured a video on his mobile phone, in which a group of persons are seen dumping the body in the drain. Police had also stated that during the post-mortem, doctors found “51 sharp and blunt injuries” on Sharma’s body.Police also claimed that there was a “deep-rooted conspiracy” behind the murder of Sharma, who was a “familiar face” in the area.Story continues below this adHussain 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.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”.The AAP suspended Hussain after he was named as an accused in the cases. Till date, Hussain has spent over five years in jail.A look at the caseFebruary 25, 2020: Sharma went missing outside his house in the Chand Bagh area after leaving to fetch household supplies. According to eyewitnesses and the subsequent police probe, he was dragged away by a violent mob and brutally murdered. His body was retrieved from a nearby drain the next morning, on February 26.February 26, 2020: FIR lodgedJune 3, 2020: The Delhi Police Crime Branch filed a detailed, comprehensive chargesheet (spanning over 650 pages) in Karkardooma Court. The document named 10 individuals, including Hussain as the main conspirator behind a “deep-rooted conspiracy” to target and eliminate the IB staffer.March 23, 2023: A Sessions Judge at Karkardooma Court formally framed criminal charges against Hussain and 10 other co-accused. The court established prima facie evidence to put them on trial for offences under the Indian Penal Code, including sections of murder, criminal conspiracy, rioting and promoting enmity between different 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. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram