Delhi Police on Monday urged a Delhi court to award the death penalty to former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four other convicts in the 2020 murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the northeast Delhi riots.
Arguments on the quantum of sentence are currently underway before the Karkardooma Court.
Police Call It a ‘Rarest of Rare’ Case
During the hearing, the prosecution described the murder as an exceptionally brutal crime and argued that it falls within the “rarest of rare” category, warranting capital punishment.
Delhi Police told the court that the convicts had crossed “all limits of humanity” and treated the victim with extreme brutality.
According to the prosecution, Sharma was murdered in a cruel manner, and even after his death, his body was subjected to further indignity. Police said that when his body was recovered, he was wearing only an undergarment.
The prosecution also referred to the post-mortem report, stating that Sharma had suffered 51 injuries, including 16 caused by sharp-edged weapons.
Citing the nature of the injuries and the brutality of the crime, Delhi Police urged the court to impose the maximum punishment.
Tahir Hussain’s Lawyer Opposes Death Sentence
Counsel for Tahir Hussain opposed the prosecution’s demand, arguing that the case does not qualify as the “rarest of rare” and therefore does not justify the death penalty.
The defence also contended that during the trial, the prosecution failed to produce conclusive evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
The lawyer urged the court to consider these factors while deciding the sentence and sought a lesser punishment for the convicts.
Five Convicted, Sentencing Arguments Continue
The court examined the testimony of 91 witnesses during the trial before delivering its verdict.
Out of the 11 accused in the case, five were convicted, while the remaining six were acquitted.
The Karkardooma Court is now hearing final arguments from both the prosecution and the defence before deciding the sentence for the five convicts.
