New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain seeking bail in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna rejected the bail plea of Hussain. In December last year, a Bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta sought Delhi Police’s reply on Tahir Hussain’s plea against the trial court order rejecting his bail application.

A Delhi court, in March 2023, framed murder charges against Tahir Hussain in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala of Karkardooma Courts had framed charges against 11 people, including Hussain, holding that they were liable to be tried for offences under Sections 147 (Rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 302 (Murder) read with 120B (Criminal Conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Hussain was also charged under sections 505, 109 and 114 of IPC. The trial court had noted that Hussain incited the mob to kill Hindus and urged them to “not spare them”.

On February 26, 2020, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered by Sharma’s father, Ravinder Kumar alleging that demonstrations by anti-CAA and pro-CAA protesters went on for two to three days at Chand Bagh Pulia, Main Karawal Nagar Road.

“On February 25, 2020, my son went out to buy household goods but did not return for a long time,” he alleged.

Kumar was informed by locals that a boy had been thrown into the Khajuri Khas nala from the Masjid of Chand Bagh pulia.

Subsequently, Sharma’s body was recovered from the drain. Kumar has alleged Hussain’s and his goons’ hand behind Sharma’s murder.

Hussain has sought bail on parity with accused Shoaib Alam, Gulfam, and Javed, who were earlier granted bail on the grounds of delay in the commencement of the trial.

–IANS

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