A Delhi court on Monday delivered a major verdict in one of the most significant cases linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The court convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma. At the same time, the court acquitted six accused after finding insufficient evidence against them.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh pronounced the verdict after hearing the case against 11 accused. The court convicted Tahir Hussain, Nazim, Kasim, Javed and Anas. It acquitted Haseen alias Mullaji alias Salman, Sameer Khan, Firoz, Gulfam, Shoaib Alam alias Bobby and Muntajim alias Musa.

The court found Tahir Hussain guilty under charges related to murder, promoting enmity between different religious groups, rioting and using assault or criminal force to dishonour a person. However, the court dropped the charge of criminal conspiracy against him.

Reports from inside the courtroom said Tahir Hussain broke down after the judgment. He was seen crying soon after the court pronounced the verdict.

The case dates back to the communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020. The riots took place during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and turned into one of the deadliest episodes of violence in the national capital in recent years. The clashes involved incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism. A total of 53 people lost their lives and many others suffered injuries during the violence.

The murder case began after Ankit Sharma's father, Ravinder Kumar, filed a complaint at the Dayalpur police station. According to the complaint, Sharma returned home from work on February 25, 2020. He later stepped out again but did not return. His family started searching for him after they failed to contact him.

During the search, local residents informed the family that Sharma had been killed. They also said his body had been thrown into the Khajuri Khas drain near a mosque in the Chand Bagh Pulia area. Police later recovered his body from the drain.

In his complaint, Ravinder Kumar accused Tahir Hussain and several others of murdering his son. He alleged that the accused had gathered at Hussain's office before the incident. He also claimed they later disposed of Sharma's body by throwing it into the drain.

The court had framed charges against all 11 accused on March 24, 2023. The charges included rioting, rioting with deadly weapons, promoting enmity between groups, murder and criminal conspiracy under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Tahir Hussain also faced additional charges related to abetment and making statements conducive to public mischief.

After examining the evidence presented during the trial, the court convicted five accused while acquitting the remaining six. The acquittals came after the court concluded that the prosecution had not produced enough evidence against them.

The verdict marks a major development in the legal proceedings related to the 2020 Delhi riots. Several cases linked to the violence remain under trial, while this judgment stands among the most important decisions delivered so far.

Following the judgment, former Delhi Police Special Commissioner Satish Golchha reacted to the court's decision. Golchha had supervised the investigation into the 2020 Delhi riots. He said the verdict confirmed the credibility of the police investigation.

"During the Delhi riots, our primary responsibility was to maintain law and order and ensure a fair, impartial and evidence-based investigation. Every effort was made to collect credible evidence and bring those responsible before the law," Golchha told India Today.

"With the court delivering its judgment, I feel satisfied that the hard work and professionalism of the investigating team have stood the test of judicial scrutiny."

He added, "We remain committed to bringing all those responsible for crimes committed during the 2020 riots to justice through the due process of law."

The court has not yet announced the punishment for the five convicted men. It will decide the quantum of sentence at a later date after hearing arguments from both sides.

The judgment closes another important chapter in the legal proceedings linked to the 2020 Delhi riots. The case remained under trial for more than six years after the killing of Ankit Sharma. With the conviction of Tahir Hussain and four others, the court has delivered one of the most closely watched verdicts arising from the violence that shook northeast Delhi in February 2020.