Delhi High Court Denies Bail to Tahir Hussain in Ankit Sharma Murder Case

The Delhi High Court has rejected a bail request from former municipal councillor Tahir Hussain, who faces charges in the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Justice Neena Bansal upheld a prior decision from the trial court denying Hussain's release.

Special Public Prosecutor Rajat Nair, along with advocate Dhruv Pande representing Delhi Police, presented arguments claiming Hussain's direct involvement in Sharma's murder. Prosecutors stated that Hussain, along with accomplices, assaulted and killed Sharma amid the chaos. Eyewitness accounts allegedly place Hussain at the crime scene, stirring up rioters with inflammatory remarks, with the prosecution warning that his local influence made witness intimidation and evidence tampering real possibilities.

On March 24, 2023, a trial court formally charged Hussain and ten others with Ankit Sharma's murder, a crime amid the 2020 communal violence that led to over 50 deaths. Hussain has been in custody for over five years and contends that his prolonged detention and claims of false implication warrant a bail reconsideration. Despite his defense pointing to inconsistencies among witnesses, the court denied the application, citing significant evidence against him.