A Delhi court on Thursday framed charges against former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and 10 others in connection with the alleged murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
The Additional Sessions Judge at Karkardooma court, Pulastya Pramachala, framed charges against Mr. Hussain, Haseen, Sameer, Anas, Nazim, Firoz, Javed, Kasim, Gulfam, Shoaib Alam and Muntajim under Sections 147, 148, 153A, 302, 365, 120B, 149, 188 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code.
Mr. Hussain has additionally been charged under Sections 505, 109 and 114 of IPC as according to the court, he was continuously acting in a manner of supervising and motivating the mob to target people of a particular community .“It was done to target Hindus,” the court observed.
Ankit had initially gone missing during the riots from the Chand Bagh area and his body was later found in a drain. In an FIR lodged on the complaint of the victim’s father, Ravindra Sharma, the police had booked 11 named persons, including Mr. Hussain.
The police, during the investigation, had recorded the statements of 81 witnesses and found that Ankit was killed when he was trying to pacify the crowd on both sides near Mr. Hussain’s house.
In the chargesheet, the witnesses have categorically stated that Mr. Hussain was present at the spot where Ankit was murdered. Mr. Hussain was leading the mob which later moved to his building. A few witnesses have also claimed that Mr. Hussain was present in the building when the mob was pelting stones and petrol bombs from his terrace.
