Should have got death penalty: Ankit Sharma's brother on Tahir Hussain's life term

Published 31 July 2026 · local

Hours after the Karkardooma Court awarded life imprisonment to former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and three others in the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer

Hours after the Karkardooma Court awarded life imprisonment to former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and three others in the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 north-east Delhi riots, the victim's brother, Ankur Sharma, told India Today that the case should have been treated as the "rarest of rare" and that all the convicts deserved the death penalty. Read Full Story Expressing disappointment with the quantum of punishment, Ankur Sharma said the brutality of his brother's killing warranted capital punishment. "Tahir Hussain and all the other convicts should have been awarded the death penalty. The court should have treated my brother's case as one of the rarest of rare," he said. Recalling the circumstances of Ankit Sharma's death, he alleged that his brother was subjected to extreme brutality before being killed. "My brother was murdered in a barbaric manner. His body had 55 stab wounds. He was burnt with acid, and later his body was thrown into a drain," Ankur Sharma told India Today Digital.

He argued that awarding the death penalty would have served as a strong deterrent against such crimes. "The court should have awarded capital punishment to all those found guilty so that it would send a message and ensure that no one else suffers the same fate that my brother did while serving the nation," he said. Sharma further said the family would now consult the Delhi Police investigation team and their legal counsel before deciding on the next course of action. "We will speak to the Delhi Police investigating officer and our lawyer. After that, we will decide what legal steps to take," he said. The Karkardooma Court on Thursday sentenced Tahir Hussain to life imprisonment for the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma, whose body was recovered from a drain in northeast Delhi during the communal violence that erupted in February 2020. The court had held Hussain guilty in the case earlier, along with several co-convicts.

TAHIR HUSSAIN TO CHALLENGE THE VERDICT IN HIGH COURT Reacting to the life sentence, former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain said he would challenge both his conviction and the sentence before the Delhi High Court. Expressing confidence in securing relief, Hussain claimed he would get justice from the higher judiciary. "We will go to the High Court. We will get justice from the High Court," he said after the sentencing. Hussain also alleged that the trial was "a fixed match", saying, "Ye match fixed tha. Insaaf milega toh High Court se milega (This match was fixed. If I get justice, it will be from the High Court)." REKHA GUPTA CALLS VERDICT A VICTORY Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta welcomed the Karkardooma Court's verdict, describing it as a victory for justice and saying the life sentence had reinforced public faith in the judiciary and the rule of law. In a post on X, Gupta also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party over its association with Tahir Hussain.