Delhi Riots: Chargesheet filed in IB officer Ankit Sharma murder case, suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain named

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police on Wednesday filed a chargesheet in the IB personnel Ankit Sharma murder case, naming suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, in connection with the Delhi communal riots of February. 

Delhi Police Crime Branch has named Hussain in the chargesheet which states that he "led the mob from his house and also from the Masjid near Chand Bagh Pulia on 24th & 25th February 2020 and gave it a  communal colour".

The case for the murder of Ankit Sharma, a young IB official, was registered on February 26 at the Dayalpur police station. Ankit Sharma was murdered outside former AAP leader Tahir Hussain’s house in the Khajuri Khas area on February 25. After killing Ankit Sharma, the mob had thrown his dead body in a nearby drain. The body was fished out from the drain the next day in the morning. A witness standing on a terrace had captured a video on his mobile phone, in which a group of persons could be seen dumping the dead body in the drain. During postmortem, the doctors found 51 sharp and blunt injuries on Ankit’s body.  

Ten persons, including Tahir Hussain, were arrested in this case. The investigation has revealed that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the riot and murder of Ankit Sharma, who was a familiar face in the area. He was specifically targeted by a mob led by Tahir Hussain. It has been found that Tahir Hussain is the main person who had been instigating the mob, both on February 24 and 25, in the Chand Bagh area. Chargesheet against him, in another riot case of February 24, was filed on Tuesday by the Crime Branch. During the investigation, the blood-stained knife used to stab Ankit Sharma and the blood-stained clothes of the killer (with Ankit’s blood) were recovered. Another knife used in the crime was also recovered. Tahir's licensed pistol was seized in a separate case.

The second charge sheet will be filed in the Rajdhani School case which was registered on March 5. This case was registered for the riots that took place on February 24 outside Rajdhani Public School, Shiv Vihar, New Mustafabad, Delhi. The case was registered on the complaint of the owner and manager of DRP Convent Public School, which is adjacent to the Rajdhani School in Shiv Vihar. The rioters had camped inside and fired bullets from the terrace of Rajdhani School. They also threw petrol bombs, acid, bricks, stones, and other missiles using an improvised large iron catapult, specially installed for the purpose, from the terrace of Rajdhani School. The rioters had used ropes to climb down from the terrace of Rajdhani School into the compound of DRP Convent School and then the mob had set the school on fire. 

The rioters had also looted the computers and other expensive items from DRP Convent School. They had also burned down a building belonging to Anil Sweets, which stood right in front of Rajdhani School, on the other side of the road. Dilbar Negi, an employee with Anil Sweets, was trapped inside and his charred dead body was found later by the police.

Eighteen persons, including Faisal Farooque, who is the owner of Rajdhani School, have been arrested in this case. During the investigation, it has been found that Faisal Farooque had hatched a conspiracy to precipitate and aggravate riots, in and around Rajdhani School. On his instructions, the adjacent and rival DRP Convent School, 2 parking lots run by the other party, and the building of Anil Sweets was systematically destroyed by the mob. This is evident from the statement of witnesses, which include the guard at DRP School and his own guard at Rajdhani School. His call detail analysis and links with prominent members of Popular Front of India, Pinjratod group, Jamia Coordination Committee, Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz, and some other fundamental Muslim clerics have also come light.

In both the above cases, a further investigation against other accused persons, who have already been identified in the case, will continue.