No justice is complete till everyone involved hanged: Brother of IB officer killed in Delhi riots

New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) Nearly six years since the killing of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma, the conviction of local politician Tahir Hussain has brought some relief to his family, yet a gaping void refuses to leave them. A Delhi court on Monday convicted Hussain and four others for being involved in the killing of Sharma, who was attacked by a mob and thrown into a drain during the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February 2020. The verdict has revived painful memories for Sharma's family, which has been rebuilding its life away from Delhi. "It is very difficult to explain what our family is going through right now. There is a sense of relief because the court has convicted some of the accused, but at the same time, all the painful memories have come rushing back," a member of Sharma's family, requesting anonymity, told PTI. The victim's brother said the conviction has forced the family to relive the harrowing moment when they first heard of Sharma's death. "There is grief, there is anger, and there is an emptiness that can never be filled. We lost one of the strongest pillars of our family, and no judgment can bring him back," he said. Family members said their lives changed completely after the violence, and they decided to leave Delhi within a few months of the incident. "We shifted out of Delhi just two or three months after the incident. We never felt safe staying there after what happened. We now live in a rented accommodation in Uttar Pradesh. Our lives have completely changed. The sense of fear stays with us," he said. Recalling the day of the incident, the family member said Sharma had only gone to assess the situation as part of his duty. "My brother was on duty when they brutally murdered him. He was serving the country. Intelligence Bureau officers generally do not disclose their identity, so he identified himself as a Delhi Police official. "He was asked by his seniors to go and check the situation. What was his fault? He was simply doing his duty. We believe he was targeted because of his religion, and that pain has stayed with us every single day," the brother said. He said the family is grateful for the conviction, but full justice will happen when everyone involved in the killing is held accountable. "We want the accused to be awarded the strictest punishment. Today, only a few have been convicted. We want every single person who was involved in my brother's murder to face the law … They need to be hanged," he said. The family member said the verdict had brought back memories of Sharma's final days. "My brother's birthday was on February 2, and just a few days later, we lost him. He was young, full of dreams, and was thinking about getting married. Our entire family's future changed forever after that day," he told PTI. The case pertains to an FIR registered at Dayalpur Police Station on a complaint by Sharma's father, Ravinder Kumar. According to the complaint, Sharma, who was posted with the Intelligence Bureau, returned home from work on February 25, 2020, before stepping out again to assess the situation in the area. When he did not return, his family began searching for him and later learnt that he had been attacked by a mob and his body thrown into the Khajuri Khas drain at the Chand Bagh pulia. His body was later recovered from the drain. Kumar alleged that his son was murdered by Hussain and others who had assembled at the former councillor's office. On March 24, 2023, a Delhi court framed charges against Hussain and 10 others. According to the chargesheet, Hussain led the mob from his house and from a mosque near Chand Bagh Pulia on February 24 and 25, 2020, and allegedly gave the violence a communal colour by provoking people against Hindus. The chargesheet alleged that the mob later caught hold of Sharma, dragged him to Chand Bagh Pulia, assaulted him with sharp and blunt weapons that killed him and threw his body into the drain. The incident happened as communal violence erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020 during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The clashes, marked by stone-pelting, arson and vandalism, left 53 people dead and scores injured. On Monday, Hussain broke down in court as Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh pronounced him guilty, while his counsel tried to console him. Hussain was an Aam Aadmi Party councillor at the time of the incident but was later suspended by the party after his name surfaced in the case. Besides Hussain, it convicted Nazim, Qasim, Javed and Anas, though not all were convicted under the charge of murder. The court acquitted six accused. "Insaaf nahi hua hai," (justice has not been done)," Hussain said, while he was being taken away from the courtroom after his conviction. PTI SGV BUN VN VN