New Delhi, July 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra on Friday welcomed the life imprisonment awarded to former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain in the 2020 murder case of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma, describing the verdict as the “beginning of justice” while expressing hope that a higher court would award the death penalty.
In a post on X, Mishra said the manner in which Sharma was killed during the North-East Delhi riots qualified as a “rarest of the rare” case. Referring to the brutality of the crime, he alleged that the IB officer was repeatedly stabbed and his body thrown into a drain, and said the punishment should ultimately be enhanced to capital punishment.
The remarks came after a Delhi court sentenced Tahir Hussain and four others to life imprisonment for Sharma’s murder during the communal violence that erupted in February 2020.
While awarding the sentence, the Karkardooma court described the crime as one of “utmost brutality” and observed that it tilted towards the “rarest of rare” category. However, the court imposed life imprisonment instead of the death penalty after weighing the circumstances of the case.
According to the prosecution, 26-year-old Ankit Sharma, a security assistant with the Intelligence Bureau, was attacked by a violent mob after attempting to intervene during clashes near Tahir Hussain’s residence. The investigation alleged that he was assaulted with rods, stones and knives, sustaining 51 stab wounds. His body was recovered from a drain a day later after his family reported him missing.
Earlier this month, the trial court convicted Tahir Hussain along with Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim for offences including murder, kidnapping, rioting and promoting enmity between different groups.
Hussain is expected to challenge his conviction and sentence before the Delhi High Court.
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