Delhi Court Seeks Death Penalty for Tahir Hussain in IB Officer Murder

Delhi Police have asked a Delhi court to impose the death penalty on former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and four other men convicted of murdering Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 North‑East Delhi riots. Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey told the Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh that Sharma was abducted, brutally assaulted with 51 wounds – 18 from sharp weapons – and killed, describing the act as "butcher‑like" and urging the maximum punishment.

Hussain’s defence counsel argued that the death penalty is reserved for the rarest cases, citing a lack of specific evidence of his individual role at the scene and urging mitigation based on his conduct in custody. The case originates from FIR 65 of 2020 filed at Dayalpur police station following the riots that left 53 dead.

The conviction has reignited a broader public debate, with several politicians, journalists and cultural figures having previously defended Hussain or questioned the investigation, keeping the matter in national political and media discourse.