Life term for e AAP leader Tahir Hussain in Delhi riots case; why city court ruled out death penalty
A Delhi court on Friday sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four other convicts to life imprisonment for the murder of
A Delhi court on Friday sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four other convicts to life imprisonment for the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots. The court held that the case did not qualify as one of the "rarest of rare" cases that would justify awarding the death penalty, according to PTI. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh delivered the verdict in the presence of Hussain and the other convicts amid heightened security arrangements. The sentence was delivered after the court heard arguments on the quantum of punishment. Rejecting the prosecution's plea for capital punishment, the judge observed that the state had failed to establish that the convicts were beyond the possibility of reformation. The courtroom was crowded with lawyers and senior Delhi Police officials, including the Joint Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) from the Crime Branch.
Hussain's family members were also present during the proceedings. “I find myself unable to agree based on the SPP that the convicts are beyond reformation or have such a fiendish character that their continued existence, even in prison, will be a menace to society. For the other offenses the convicts have been found guilty of, they must face the full force of the law,” the court stated in its order. The court noted that the state had not placed any material on record to establish that any of the convicts had a violent disposition or a tendency towards committing crimes. "The final test that law requires me to undertake before I conclude that this case invites capital punishment is whether the convicts are beyond redemption and there being no chance of reformation, it is now firmly established in our criminal jurisprudence that death penalty is of the last absorption," the judge observed.
Also Read | Delhi Elections: AIMIM candidate Tahir Hussain granted custody parole by SC Earlier, the Delhi Police had sought the death penalty for all five accused, arguing that their actions had reduced them to the "level of being animals" while they repeatedly assaulted Sharma. Tahir Hussain reacts When asked about the sentence, Hussain said he believed the High Court would deliver justice in his case. Also Read | Delhi Court dismisses Umar Khalid's plea to care for his ailing mother “The High Court will give justice; it is not too late,” Hussain said. What Public Prosecutor said Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey told the court that Sharma was subjected to a brutal killing and that the convicts showed no compassion towards him, and therefore did not deserve any leniency. "Those who are asking for mercy today should have shown mercy themselves. No mercy was shown from anyone's side.
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