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The Delhi High Court has denied bail to former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain for the fifth time, observing that his house was used as a “fort and operational base” to orchestrate attacks against members of the Hindu community during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna concluded that the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma was not an isolated incident, but part of a larger and planned conspiracy in which Hussain played a central role.

The Court noted that Hussain had moved his family out well in advance and that prosecution materials identified his house near Chand Bagh Pulia as a key site for riot planning and execution. Evidence cited by the Court included the recovery of stones, petrol bombs, acid, and slingshots from Hussain’s rooftop, as well as witness testimonies directly confirming their use during the riots. These facts, the Court held, established the premeditated and organized nature of the violence.

Ankit Sharma was murdered during the February 2020 riots—his body found with 51 injuries in a drain near Jaffrabad. The police chargesheet alleged that Sharma was targeted, dragged into a house, and brutally killed by a mob in which Hussain was a leading conspirator. In March 2023, murder charges were framed by the Karkardooma Court against Hussain and ten others.

Rejecting Hussain’s plea, the High Court emphasized the need to view the incident as an extension of a larger conspiracy, not just the act of a mob. It concluded that the evidence demonstrated Hussain was not merely a participant, but the main instigator and facilitator who provided the operational hub for coordinated attacks. The gravity of the offense and Hussain’s alleged central role led the Court to find no grounds for bail at this stage.