NEW DELHI: While denying bail to former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in the murder case of IB staffer Ankit Sharma during February 2020 riots, the Delhi High Court order has highlighted the “extremely grave” allegations against him.
Justice Neena Krishna Bansal said the incident was not merely an “ancillary crime, but a gruesome manifestation” of a larger conspiracy.
“Dragging of Ankit Sharma by an enraged mob, his brutal murder with 51 injuries, and the subsequent disposal of his body in a drain, defines the gravity of the offence,”
the court said.
The verdict prima facie found Hussain not only a “passive participant” but a “key figure” in the events.
“Viewing this incident as an off-shoot of the larger conspiracy is essential to appreciate its full gravity and the prima facie role of the applicant (Hussain) within it,” the bail rejection order added.
On February 26, 2020, complainant Ravinder Kumar informed the Dayalpur police station officials that his son Ankit Sharma, who was posted in the Intelligence Bureau (IB), was missing since
February 25, 2020.
He later learnt from some locals that a person’s body was dumped in the Khajuri Khas nala from the masjid of Chand Bagh pulia after
being murdered.
The prosecution alleged that Sharma’s body was recovered from Khajuri Khas nala and there were 51 injuries on his body. It was Hussain’s fifth bail application filed in the case and has been in judicial custody since March 16, 2020.
Four other accused were also stated to be the part of the violent mob which was involved in the acts of rioting and arson, which killed Sharma.
The court said Sharma’s murder was a premeditated part of a larger anti-CAA/NRC conspiracy, orchestrated by Hussain, aimed at inciting communal riots and threatening public order during the 2020 Delhi violence.