Prosecutors Demand Capital Punishment for Former AAP Councillor in IB Officer Murder

Execution Sought in Brutal 2020 Riots Killing

Delhi Police legal representatives have formally requested the death penalty for former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and four other men convicted of murdering Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma. During a hearing at the Karkardooma Courts on Monday, Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey argued that the circumstances of the murder meet the legal threshold for the rarest of rare category. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh presided over the session where the state outlined the visceral nature of the 2020 assault.

The Forensic Evidence and Prosecution Arguments

The prosecution highlighted the extreme violence documented in the autopsy report to justify capital punishment. Evidence presented to the court detailed 51 distinct injuries on Sharma's body. Specifically, 18 of these wounds were inflicted by sharp instruments. Prosecutors contend the assault was a cold-blooded execution that continued even after the victim had ceased to live. They argued that the sheer severity and intent behind the attack warrant the maximum legal penalty.

The Defence and Legal Proceedings

Counsel for Tahir Hussain challenged the motion for the death penalty, arguing that while a mob was present at the scene, the trial court had not assigned specific actions to each individual that would justify an execution. Currently, five men stand convicted for this crimes:

• Tahir Hussain
• Nazim
• Kasim
• Javed
• Anas

The case originated from a missing persons report filed by Sharma's father at the Dayalpur police station during the communal riots. Sharma’s remains were eventually pulled from a drain near Chand Bagh Pulia. To secure the conviction, the prosecution relied on 91 witnesses, forensic data, and call records. Following the conviction of the five men on July 14, 2026, the court has reserved its final sentencing order for July 31.

Source: The Hindu — Cities