The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the Delhi Police on appeals filed by two convicts challenging their conviction and life imprisonment sentences in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
A bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan admitted the joint appeals of Nazim and Kasim. The court issued notices to the prosecution regarding both the primary appeals against their conviction and their pleas seeking the suspension of their life sentences, setting the next hearing for December 2.
Presenting the arguments for the appellants, defense counsel submitted that the trial court’s conviction could not be sustained under the law. The defense pointed out that investigating agencies failed to conduct a test identification parade and contended that the testimony of the prosecution witness lacked independent corroborating evidence.
Appearing for the prosecution, Advocate Rajat Nair informed the bench that the State also plans to file an appeal against the trial court’s decision, specifically challenging the acquittal of six other accused individuals in the case.
Trial Court Verdict And Life Sentences
The High Court’s directives follow a July 31 decision by a trial court that sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and four co-convicts to life imprisonment. Hussain was convicted under several Indian Penal Code provisions, including murder, rioting armed with deadly weapons, and promoting enmity between different groups.
Nazim, Kasim, and two other co-defendants were convicted on similar rioting and assault charges, though they were not convicted of murder. During trial proceedings, the prosecution had sought the death penalty for all five convicted men, arguing that the relentless nature of the physical assault on Sharma demonstrated extreme cruelty.
Incident Background And Investigation
The murder case was initially registered at the Dayalpur police station following a complaint lodged by Ravinder Kumar, the father of the slain officer. According to the complaint, Sharma had returned home from his Intelligence Bureau office on February 25, 2020, before stepping out again later that evening.
When Sharma failed to return, his family initiated a search and was eventually informed by local residents that he had been killed and his body discarded in the Khajuri Khas drain near a mosque in the Chand Bagh Pulia area. Authorities subsequently retrieved his body from the drain. The complaint alleged that Hussain and several associates assembled at Hussain’s office premises to carry out the murder before disposing of the body.
Context Of 2020 Northeast Delhi Riots
The incident took place during widespread communal violence in northeast Delhi in February 2020, triggered by demonstrations surrounding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The unrest, which featured widespread arson, vandalism, and stone-pelting, resulted in 53 deaths and left numerous individuals injured.
