New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the bail application of AIMIM leader and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, who stands accused in the brutal 2020 Delhi riots murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma.
Court’s Observations
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna rejected the plea despite Hussain’s counsel arguing that he has spent more than five years in custody and that the trial is unlikely to conclude soon.
The Delhi Police opposed the plea, calling it a “shocking case,” noting that Sharma was stabbed 51 times before his body was dumped in a drain near Khajuri Khas. Hussain’s bail had earlier been denied by the trial court on March 12.
2020 Delhi Riots & Ankit Sharma’s Death
Ankit Sharma, an IB staffer, went missing on February 25, 2020, amid the communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi a day earlier. His body was recovered the next day, as the riots left 53 people dead and scores injured.
The clashes were triggered by confrontations between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) that spiralled into large-scale violence.
Political Timeline of Tahir Hussain
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At the time of the riots, Hussain was an AAP councillor.
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Following his expulsion from the party, he joined the AIMIM in December 2024.
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In February 2025, he contested the Delhi Assembly elections from Mustafabad, finishing third behind BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht, whose victory contributed to the BJP’s return to power in Delhi after 27 years, ending AAP’s 12-year rule.
Hussain is among five accused in the Ankit Sharma murder case. The trial is ongoing, with the High Court stressing the gravity of the allegations as grounds for rejecting his bail.