Police opposes Tahir Hussain’s bail plea in IB staffer murder case

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Wednesday opposed in the Delhi High Court a plea of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain seeking bail in a murder case related to February 2020 riots. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna went on to reserve the order on the bail plea.

The police called it a “shocking” case involving the murder of a young intelligence bureau (IB) officer, namely Ankit Sharma. IB officer Sharma, while attempting to pacify the accused and urging them not to take the law into their own hands, was caught, dragged and stabbed 51 times with a sharp weapon before his body was dumped into an adjoining drain, it added.

The plea, filed through advocate Tara Narula, said Hussain had already been incarcerated for over five years and despite the trial court’s “best efforts” to expedite the trial, its conclusion would take time. Hussain has argued the trial court erroneously rejected his bail plea on March 12 as there was no credible evidence to show any kind of involvement in the alleged incident.

“The allegation against the applicant in the present case is that of an instigator. Out of the five alleged public eye witnesses, three witnesses have exonerated the applicant, categorically stating that they did not see him at the spot at the relevant time,” the plea said.

The plea further said the statements of two witnesses supporting the prosecution case were contradictory, “replete with major improvements and contradictions”.

Special public prosecutor Rajat Nair, representing Delhi Police, opposed the bail plea and said the prosecution evidence was expected to close on the next date of hearing in the trial court. The prosecution alleged Tahir Hussain conspired in the 2020 Delhi riots, targeting security officer Sharma, whose body with 51 injuries was found in a drain, amid fortified premises.