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“I HAVE FULL FAITH IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM,” Tahir Hussain said in an interview with The Wire, released on March 5, 2020. It was recorded just before he came out of hiding and surrendered before the court following the 2020 Delhi riots that engulfed the Northeast region of the capital. The former Aam Aadmi Party councillor had absconded after an FIR was filed against him for murdering the 26-year-old Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma. Six years later, on July 13, 2026, a Delhi court convicted Hussain of the murder and other charges.

The Wire’s exclusive interview, at a time when Tahir Hussain was in hiding, became contentious as people believed it presented Hussain as a victim when there was evidence of the contrary. The videos from his home in Chand Bagh started circulating. In the video the then AAP councillor was seen guiding a mob from his roof, which was also used by rioters for pelting stones and petrol bombs on people on the ground.

"I am a victim": Tahir Hussain in His Interview to The Wire

Giving details of the events on February 24, 2020, the day when violence reached his locality in Chand Bagh, Tahir Hussain told The Wire that stone pelting had begun in the evening of February 23 but was controlled by police. On the morning of February 24, he claimed he, along with local police and members of the Hindu community, appealed for peace and successfully sent people back. 

However, he claimed that around 2 PM, when the SP (Superintendent of Police) was present, incidents escalated near a petrol pump, leading to stone pelting. He said to The Wire, “I was present in my house and was surprised. Our motorcycle was being set on fire. I immediately told him to stop and close the doors.” He described rushing to secure his house, closing doors, and contacting officials including the 100 number and senior police personnel for help. 

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According to his account in the interview, crowds banged on his gate, climbed rooftops of adjacent buildings, and attempted to break into his house. He alleged that he evacuated his family (including his sister, children, father, and mother) to safety while continuing to appeal for calm. Hussain claimed police conducted a search of his premises later that day and assured him of security. He insisted he left the area only after senior officers like the Joint CP assured him, and he did not return to his house afterward due to ongoing threats. 

Throughout the interview, he presented himself as a victim due to his political affiliation and faith. He reiterated, “I have always worked with Hindus and Muslims. I have always stayed among the Hindu population. I feel that I am being framed as part of some political conspiracy because first of all I am a councilor of the Aam Aadmi Party, and secondly my name is Tahir Hussain.”

The interview was conducted when the former AAP leader was in hiding after the FIR. At the end of the video, he confesses that he will come out of hiding and surrender before the court, saying he had “full faith in the justice system.”

What Happened to IB Officer Ankit Sharma During 2020 Delhi Riots?

In February 2020, northeast Delhi broke into riots following protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was recently passed in the parliament, and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) across India. After months of protest against the bill, and just days after the result of 2020 Delhi elections, a riot broke out between Hindu and Muslim mobs in the Northeast district engulfing areas like Maujpur, Babarpur, Bhajanpura, Yamuna Vihar, Chand Bagh, Gokulpuri etc. The official records claim that 53 died in the riots and more than 200 were injured.

On February 26, 2020, the body of the IB officer Ankit Sharma was found in the Khajuri Khas drain near the Chand Bagh area. He reportedly had 51 stab wounds on his body. His father, Ravinder Kumar, lodged an FIR, accusing AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and others of murdering his son. A Delhi Police Crime Branch later filed a detailed charge sheet against ten accused, including Hussain, who was suspended from AAP by this point.

On July 13, 2026, an East Delhi court convicted Hussain of murder, rioting, assault, criminal force, and promoting enmity between groups among other charges but acquitted him of criminal conspiracy and abetment of mutiny. Four others were also charged with similar charges except murder and six other accused were acquitted in the case. A detailed judgement from the court is awaited.

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