Ankit Sharma Murder Case (2020 Delhi Riots)

Ankit Sharma, a 26-year-old Intelligence Bureau security assistant, went missing on February 25, 2020, during communal riots in northeast Delhi. His mutilated body was discovered the next day in a drain near suspended Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain's house in Chand Bagh, bearing over 400 stab wounds and signs of dismemberment. The Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested Hussain and several co-accused, alleging that Sharma was dragged into Hussain's building, killed, and his body dumped. The case, framed under charges of murder, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence, became a flashpoint in the investigation into the orchestrated Delhi riots.

As of 2025, the trial is ongoing. A Delhi court has framed charges against Tahir Hussain and the other accused for murder, kidnapping, rioting, and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. No final verdict has been delivered; all accused remain in judicial custody.

Whether the murder was part of a premeditated conspiracy to incite communal violence and target Hindus; the extent of Tahir Hussain’s role in orchestrating the killing and whether he directly participated; allegations of political protection and the weaponization of the UAPA in related cases; the credibility of witness testimonies and forensic evidence linking the accused to the dismemberment.

The grotesque murder inflamed communal tensions and became a symbol of the 2020 Delhi riots' brutality. It triggered a political firestorm, with the victim's family and Hindu groups demanding fast-track justice and accusing the AAP of shielding Hussain. The case intensified the national debate on hate speech, the criminalization of politics, and alleged biased investigations, while also fueling narratives of religious persecution and deepening the communal divide.