IB officer murder case: Delhi Police seeks death penalty for Tahir Hussain, 4 others

Delhi Police urged a Delhi court to award the death penalty to Tahir Hussain and four co-convicts in the Ankit Sharma murder case. The prosecution said the brutality of the 2020 riot killing places it in the rarest of rare category.The court convicted Tahir Hussain and four others for IB officer Ankit Sharma's murder during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. (Photo: ITG)Delhi Police on Sunday urged a Delhi court to award the death penalty to former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and the four other men convicted in the 2020 murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma, describing the crime as a "heinous", "brutal" and "cold-blooded" killing that falls within the "rarest of rare" category. Hussain's counsel opposed the plea, arguing that the case does not meet the legal threshold for capital punishment.Seeking the maximum punishment during arguments on the quantum of sentence, the prosecution told the court that the convicts had acted with exceptional brutality and deserved no leniency.Arguing for capital punishment, Delhi Police said the accused had "turned into butchers" while committing the crime and "had become animals". The prosecution submitted that Sharma continued to be assaulted even after he had died, underlining what it called the extreme barbarity of the attack.The police further told the court that when Sharma's body was recovered, he was wearing only his underwear. It argued that the nature of the assault was so gruesome that it could not be forgiven. POLICE CITES BRUTALITY OF ATTACKDetailing the injuries sustained by the 26-year-old IB officer, the prosecution said Sharma's body bore 51 injuries. Of these, seven were individually sufficient to cause death, while 16 were inflicted with sharp-edged weapons. The use of such weapons, it argued, reflected the exceptional brutality of the offence.The prosecution maintained that the case fell within the "rarest of rare" category and warranted the death penalty for all five convicts.DEFENCE OPPOSES DEATH PENALTY Opposing the plea, Hussain's counsel said the death penalty cannot be imposed in every murder case and should remain confined to the "rarest of rare" category.The defence argued that although the trial court examined 91 witnesses, only five of the 11 accused were convicted. It also contended that the prosecution failed to establish any criminal conspiracy under Section 120B of the IPC.Hussain's counsel further submitted that several persons allegedly part of the mob were acquitted, and that even the police had failed to control the violence. Therefore, no single individual could be held solely responsible for Sharma's murder, the defence argued.The counsel also maintained that Hussain was not present at the spot where Sharma was killed and that the number or nature of injuries alone could not justify the death penalty.CASE SO FAROn July 13, the Delhi court convicted Hussain and four others for Sharma's murder during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.In its verdict, the court held that Hussain was part of a heavily armed mob that had gathered with hostility towards Hindus and engaged in rioting, arson and looting before Sharma was subjected to a "savage and relentless assault". It said the prosecution had proved that members of the unlawful assembly knew their actions could result in death.The sentencing hearing had earlier been deferred after the defence sought additional time to prepare its submissions. The court also directed the convicts to file affidavits detailing their socio-economic background before arguments on sentencing.Hussain stands convicted under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including murder, kidnapping, rioting, promoting enmity, disobedience of a public servant's order, and unlawful assembly.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Jul 27, 2026 17:01 IST