Deep-rooted plot behind IB official’s murder: Cops
Ankit Sharma was killed during N-E Delhi riots
In the chargesheet filed on Wednesday by Delhi Police, it was alleged that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the riots and murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) official Ankit Sharma during northeast Delhi violence in Chandbagh area as he was “specifically targeted” by a mob led by suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain. After killing Sharma, the mob had thrown his body in a nearby drain and was fished out the next day, police said.
The Crime Branch had filed the chargesheet before Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Parihar, who fixed the matter for consideration on June 16. “A witness standing on a terrace had captured a video on his mobile phone, in which a group of persons are seen dumping the dead body in the drain. During postmortem, the doctors found 51 sharp and blunt injuries on Ankit’s body,” the chargesheet said.
The chargesheet was filed under various sections of the IPC for the offences including murder (302), kidnapping (365), rioting (147 and 148), Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc. (153-A), criminal conspiracy (120-B) and destruction of evidence (201). Ten persons, including Tahir Hussain, were arrested in the case.
“Investigation has revealed that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the riot and murder of Ankit Sharma, who was a familiar face in the area. He was specifically targeted by a mob led by Tahir Hussain, a sitting councilor in EDMC, Delhi.
“It has been found that Tahir Hussain is the main person who had been instigating the mob, both on February 24 and 25, in the Chand Bagh area,” the chargesheet said.
It added that during the investigation, “the blood stained knife used to stab Ankit Sharma and the blood stained clothes of the killer (with Ankit’s blood) were recovered. Another knife used in the crime was also recovered. Tahir Hussain’s licensed pistol was seized in a separate case”.
“An accused Haseen alias Salman was instrumental in the murder of Ankit. He is the person who had assaulted him with knife. During his interrogation, he revealed that he had heard about the killing of a 4-year-old Muslim boy by a Hindu, he became angry and took a knife and along with his accomplices, Sameer, Kasim, Sabir and others came to Chand Bagh Pulia on February 25,” the police said.
The chargesheet said that “Salman further disclosed that he had stabbed Ankit Sharma a number of times with knife which he was carrying. His accomplices also stabbed with knife and hit him with dandas (sticks) and after killing him, threw his dead body in the nala”.
During police custody remand, the weapon of offence, i.e., blood stained knife and the blood stained clothes of the accused worn at the time of incident were recovered at his instance from his house, it said.
The recovered knife and the clothes of the accused have been sent to FSL, Rohini for comparison with the blood of the deceased and the report is still awaited, it said.
A WITNESS standing on a terrace had captured a video on his mobile phone, in which a group of persons are seen dumping the dead body in the drain. During post-mortem, the doctors found 51 sharp and blunt injuries on Ankit Sharma’s body, the chargesheet said.